silo

[ sahy-loh ]

/ ˈsaɪ loʊ /

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noun, plural si·los.

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.

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

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

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.

Also called da·ta si·lo [dey-tuh-sahy-loh, dat-uh], /ˈdeɪ tə ˌsaɪ loʊ, ˈdæt ə/, in·for·ma·tion si·lo [in-fer-mey-shuhn sahy-loh]. /ˌɪn fərˈmeɪ ʃən ˌsaɪ loʊ/. 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.

verb (used with object), si·loed, si·lo·ing.

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

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.

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Origin of silo

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

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use silo in a sentence

It’s a big reason why we are stuck in this mess, and it’s why OZY strives to get you out of your silo each day to see more.
A Simple, Bold Idea: Reset America|Carlos Watson|January 18, 2021|Ozy
They’re both part of a public-private fire science working group called Pyregence that’s converting a grain silo into a furnace to see how large logs, like the fallen timber on Big Creek, spread fire.
What the complex math of fire modeling tells us about the future of California’s forests|Amy Nordrum|January 18, 2021|MIT Technology Review
Maybe because it wasn’t discovered until the 1970s, when bulldozers building grain silos unearthed the houses.
Your Guide for When Travel Returns|Daniel Malloy|December 27, 2020|Ozy
EU lawmakers have also expressed skepticism over initial concessions offered by Google which suggested storing Fitbit data in a silo that it said would be kept separate from other Google data.
Europe urged to block Google-Fitbit ahead of major digital policy overhaul|Natasha Lomas|December 11, 2020|TechCrunch

MuleSoft gave Salesforce access to something it didn’t have as an enterprise SaaS company — data locked in silos across the company, even in on-prem applications.
As Slack acquisition rumors swirl, a look at Salesforce’s six biggest deals|Ron Miller|November 30, 2020|TechCrunch

British Dictionary definitions for silo

silo

/ (ˈsaɪləʊ) /

noun plural -los

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

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

Word Origin for silo

C19: from Spanish, perhaps from Celtic

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

silo

Origin of silo

Words related to silo

How to use silo in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for silo

Word Origin for silo