Silicon Valley

American  

noun

1. the area in northern California, southwest of San Francisco in the Santa Clara valley region, where many of the high-technology design and manufacturing companies in the semiconductor industry are concentrated.

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Silicon Valley British  

noun

1. an industrial strip in W California, extending S of San Francisco, in which the US information technology industry is concentrated

2. any area in which industries associated with information technology are concentrated

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Silicon Valley Cultural  

1. A region on the San Francisco Peninsula in California where the miniaturized electronics industry is centered, so called because most of the devices built there are made of semiconductors such as silicon.

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The term is often used as a catchword to describe the development of high-tech industry (see also high-tech): “If we can attract this corporation to our town, we could become another Silicon Valley.”

Etymology

Origin of Silicon Valley

So called from the silicon wafers employed in semiconductor devices

Example Sentences

As Silicon Valley now funnels untold riches into server farms around the country, Rizer said, “I wait for those guys to call me.”

From The Wall Street Journal

He watched the proliferation of internet companies in Silicon Valley at the turn of the century, thinking about how he could take a successful American business model and launch it in China.

From The Wall Street Journal

Customers are choosing quality, not quantity: they would rather to buy fewer bottles and invest in a premium product, said Rob McMillan, Silicon Valley Bank’s executive vice president and wine expert.

From Los Angeles Times

In response, companies are tightening their security protocols, changes that challenge the open corporate culture many Silicon Valley companies prize.

From The Wall Street Journal

The last time the sectors diverged so much was just before Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse prompted a global banking panic and federal rescues.

From The Wall Street Journal