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
That’s jarring for a company whose soaring valuation was built on the idea that AI’s appetite for cutting-edge silicon would only grow.
—
Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Feb. 2025
The suit was mostly sculpted by hand, using materials like silicon gels and hyper-realistic puppet heads.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
Image: Parallels Version 20.2 brings some other changes, including support for automatic time and time zone syncing in macOS virtual machines on Apple silicon.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 14 Jan. 2025
Read more Is Taiwan's silicon shield a security guarantee or a target?
—Micah McCartney, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for silicon 
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Jackie Snow, Quartz, 3 Feb. 2025
The suit was mostly sculpted by hand, using materials like silicon gels and hyper-realistic puppet heads.
—Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 29 Jan. 2025
Image: Parallels Version 20.2 brings some other changes, including support for automatic time and time zone syncing in macOS virtual machines on Apple silicon.
—Wes Davis, The Verge, 14 Jan. 2025
Read more Is Taiwan's silicon shield a security guarantee or a target?
—Micah McCartney, Newsweek, 22 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for silicon
Dictionary Entries Near silicon
Cite this Entry
“Silicon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silicon. Accessed 11 Feb. 2025.
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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