silicon

[sil-i-kuhn, -kon]

noun

Chemistry.

1. a nonmetallic element, having amorphous and crystalline forms, occurring in a combined state in minerals and rocks and constituting more than one fourth of the earth's crust: used in steelmaking, alloys, etc. Si; 28.086; 14; 2.4 at 20°C.

silicon

/ ˈsɪlɪkən /

noun

1. 1. a brittle metalloid element that exists in two allotropic forms; occurs principally in sand, quartz, granite, feldspar, and clay. It is usually a grey crystalline solid but is also found as a brown amorphous powder. It is used in transistors, rectifiers, solar cells, and alloys. Its compounds are widely used in glass manufacture, the building industry, and in the form of silicones. Symbol: Si; atomic no: 14; atomic wt: 28.0855; valency: 4; relative density: 2.33; melting pt: 1414°C; boiling pt: 3267°C

   2. (modifier; sometimes capital) denoting an area of a country that contains a density of high-technology industry

silicon

1. A metalloid element that occurs in both gray crystalline and brown noncrystalline forms. It is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust and can be found only in silica and silicates. Silicon is used in glass, semiconductors, concrete, and ceramics. Atomic number 14; atomic weight 28.086; melting point 1,410°C; boiling point 2,355°C; specific gravity 2.33; valence 4.

2. See Periodic Table

silicon

1. A chemical element from which semiconductors are made. It is also used in the manufacture of glass, concrete, brick, and pottery.

Word History and Origins

Origin of silicon¹

1817; silic(a) + -on, as in carbon and boron

Word History and Origins

Origin of silicon¹

C19: from _silica , on the model of boron, carbon

Example Sentences

In the UK, Nexperia was forced to sell its silicon chip plant in Newport, after MPs and ministers expressed national security concerns.

Read more on BBC

"At the heart of it all is Apple silicon...these incredibly advanced chips make Apple products the very best place to experience the power of AI."

Read more on Barron's

Yet turning materials like silicon and germanium into superconductors has remained a major challenge, largely because it requires maintaining a delicate atomic arrangement that allows electrons to move freely.

Read more on Science Daily

The two outermost moons, Ganymede and Callisto, are composed of about 50% water ice but likely contain rocky cores rich in elements such as carbon or silicon.

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“Everything, from the beginning, the idea, silicon to the idea of intelligence will be manufactured here,” he said.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal