silicon

[ sil-i-kuhn, -kon ]

noun

, Chemistry.

1. a nonmetallic element, having amorphous and crystalline forms, occurring in a combined state in minerals and rocks and constituting more than one fourth of the earth's crust: used in steelmaking, alloys, etc. : Si; : 28.086; : 14; : 2.4 at 20°C.

silicon

/ ˈsɪlɪkən /

noun

1. 1. a brittle metalloid element that exists in two allotropic forms; occurs principally in sand, quartz, granite, feldspar, and clay. It is usually a grey crystalline solid but is also found as a brown amorphous powder. It is used in transistors, rectifiers, solar cells, and alloys. Its compounds are widely used in glass manufacture, the building industry, and in the form of silicones. Symbol: Si; atomic no: 14; atomic wt: 28.0855; valency: 4; relative density: 2.33; melting pt: 1414°C; boiling pt: 3267°C
   2. modifier; sometimes capital denoting an area of a country that contains a density of high-technology industry

silicon

/ sĭl′ĭ-kŏn′ /

1. A metalloid element that occurs in both gray crystalline and brown noncrystalline forms. It is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust and can be found only in silica and silicates. Silicon is used in glass, semiconductors, concrete, and ceramics. Atomic number 14; atomic weight 28.086; melting point 1,410°C; boiling point 2,355°C; specific gravity 2.33; valence 4.
2. See Periodic Table

silicon

1. A chemical element from which semiconductors are made. It is also used in the manufacture of glass, concrete, brick, and pottery.

Word History and Origins

Origin of silicon¹

1817; silic(a) + -on, as in carbon and boron

Word History and Origins

Origin of silicon¹

C19: from silica , on the model of boron, carbon

Example Sentences

That dominance has become known as Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” since nations that rely on Taiwanese chips have incentive to help protect it.

From Los Angeles Times

On ancient grazing pastures steel and silicon solar panels are being installed, taking thousands of acres of farmland out of food production.

From BBC

Zeiss’s EUV mirrors can reflect light at very small wavelengths which enables image clarity at a tiny scale, so more and more transistors can be printed on the same area of silicon wafer.

From BBC

Whether they use silicon, as the commercially oriented efforts do, or other materials, creating radically new chips is expensive, notes Prof Kenyon.

From BBC

But the real action is happening at nanoscale: Proteins in solution combine with chemical molecules held in minuscule wells in custom silicon chips that are like microscopic muffin tins.

From New York Times