silicon
noun
sil·i·con
ˈsi-li-kən 
ˈsi-lə-ˌkän
ˈsi-lə-ˌkän
: a tetravalent nonmetallic element with atomic number 14 that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in semiconductors, in ferrosilicon for steelmaking, and in other alloys
—often used before another noun
silicon chips
silicon carbide
see Chemical Elements Table
Examples of silicon in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
To solve this, XPENG overcame the limitations of silicon suppliers like Nvidia and built its own.
—
Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
The thin layers of chemicals help create the electrical circuits within microchips and maximize the light absorption in solar panels (raw silicon reflects some sunlight).
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
No doubt, Nvidia faces growing competition in the AI chip space both from fellow graphics processing unit (GPU) maker Advanced Micro Devices and custom silicon providers like Broadcom and Marvell , which work with large tech companies to design specialized chips.
—Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 17 May 2026
Thinners, also byproducts of oil and natural gas processing, are also needed to print circuits onto silicon wafers that are the foundational substrate for chips.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for silicon
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Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 May 2026
The thin layers of chemicals help create the electrical circuits within microchips and maximize the light absorption in solar panels (raw silicon reflects some sunlight).
—Alan Ohnsman, Forbes.com, 18 May 2026
No doubt, Nvidia faces growing competition in the AI chip space both from fellow graphics processing unit (GPU) maker Advanced Micro Devices and custom silicon providers like Broadcom and Marvell , which work with large tech companies to design specialized chips.
—Zev Fima,kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 17 May 2026
Thinners, also byproducts of oil and natural gas processing, are also needed to print circuits onto silicon wafers that are the foundational substrate for chips.
—Miranda Jeyaretnam, Time, 15 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for silicon
Cite this Entry
“Silicon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silicon. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
silicon
noun
sil·i·con
ˈsil-i-kən
ˈsil-ə-ˌkän
: a nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element after oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in alloys and electronic devices see element
Medical Definition
silicon
noun
sil·i·con
ˈsil-i-kən
ˈsil-ə-ˌkän
ˈsil-ə-ˌkän
: a tetravalent nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in alloys
—symbol Si
see Chemical Elements Table
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