silo

American  

[sahy-loh] / ˈsaɪ loʊ /

noun

plural

silos

1. a structure, typically cylindrical, in which fodder or forage is kept.

   The dairy farm's two biggest buildings were the barn and the silo full of feed for the cows.

2. a pit or underground space for storing grain, green feeds, etc.

3. Military. an underground installation constructed of concrete and steel, designed to house a ballistic missile and the equipment for firing it.

4. a group, unit, enterprise, etc., that is isolated from others or functions independently, typically viewed as not deriving the benefits of interrelationships or collaboration.

   Fundraising department silos happen when different teams don't share their ideas and plans.

5.  information silo.   data silo.  Computers. an unintegrated data repository that cannot share its stored data with other systems, subsystems, or applications.

   When an organization deploys a stand-alone solution to improve operations, it risks creating a data silo that may present difficulties when trying to scale throughout the enterprise.

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verb (used with object)

siloed, siloing

1. to put into or preserve in a silo, as fodder, grain, or missiles.

2. to separate or isolate (a group, unit, enterprise, etc.) from others.

   We Americans are now more sheltered and siloed in our sources of news than ever before.

silo British  

/ ˈsaɪləʊ /

noun

1. a pit, trench, horizontal container, or tower, often cylindrical in shape, in which silage is made and stored

2. a strengthened underground position in which missile systems are sited for protection against attack

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Etymology

Origin of silo

First recorded in 1825–35; from Spanish: “place for storing grain, hay, etc.,” originally, “subterranean”; further origin uncertain

Example Sentences

Standing there in the middle of Yellow Dog Road, I could see plenty of land but nothing more wonderful than barns and silos.

From Literature

“Disorganized data silos” have been an issue for Copilot, analysts wrote.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We need more team science to break theoretical silos and overcome existing biases and assumptions," said Mudrik.

From Science Daily

Politics has escaped the news silos — the true story of what’s happening in Minneapolis is now out in the world in a way that few stories ever are these days.

From Salon

A Pentagon assessment on China’s military power concluded that the dismissals were possibly connected to fraud cases involving the construction of underground silos for ballistic missiles.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• cellar
• granary
• storehouse