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
The update introduces a unified control plane that ties together silicon, systems, optics, and software across on-premises and cloud environments.
—
Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Their experiments revealed how hydrogen interacted with silicon and oxygen in nanostructures as the metal cooled, with the ratio of hydrogen to silicon being roughly 1 to 1.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The results revealed how silicon, oxygen and hydrogen stick together within iron when a planet like Earth forms.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
According to local media reports, a team sent by Musk recently visited several photovoltaic companies in China, including those involved in equipment manufacturing, silicon wafers, battery modules and perovskite technology.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for silicon
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Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 11 Feb. 2026
Their experiments revealed how hydrogen interacted with silicon and oxygen in nanostructures as the metal cooled, with the ratio of hydrogen to silicon being roughly 1 to 1.
—Mindy Weisberger, CNN Money, 10 Feb. 2026
The results revealed how silicon, oxygen and hydrogen stick together within iron when a planet like Earth forms.
—Stephanie Pappas, Scientific American, 10 Feb. 2026
According to local media reports, a team sent by Musk recently visited several photovoltaic companies in China, including those involved in equipment manufacturing, silicon wafers, battery modules and perovskite technology.
—Anniek Bao, CNBC, 4 Feb. 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 16 Feb. 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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