silicon

American  

[sil-i-kuhn, -kon] / ˈsɪl ɪ kən, -ˌkɒn /

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 British  

/ 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 Scientific  

/ sĭl′ĭ-kŏn′ /

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 Cultural  

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

---

Etymology

Origin of silicon

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

Compare meaning

How does silicon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• silica vs. silicon

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

silicon

“While our prior concerns on market decline and share loss in mobile remain, these are overwhelmed by raised expectations for the silicon photonics business,” analysts say.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026

Their computations, which are in effect the switching on and off of microscopic silicon transistors that make up a chip, are actually silent.

From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026

As more material crystallizes, silicon dioxide becomes increasingly concentrated in the remaining melt.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

Each bead measured only about half a millimeter across and contained a carefully controlled amount of silicon dioxide.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 12, 2026

The results indicate that this particular bit of dust is made up of a mixture of elements, with silicon being the most prominent.

From "A Rover's Story" by Jasmine Warga