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
This was slated to include investment in a new factory in Texas, a manufacturing academy, as well as spending in AI and silicon engineering.
—
Callum Sutherland, Time, 23 May 2025
The idea, which seemed impossible to many two decades ago, was to create large amounts of tiny rays of extreme ultraviolet light, projecting it through masks with increasingly small chip designs, onto wafers of silicon treated with photoresist chemicals.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 22 May 2025
The rest of the silicon is no slouch, with a speedy Core Ultra 9 processor coupled with 32GB of system memory.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 May 2025
Can that occur from sending a chunk of metal and silicon—even one that is boxcar-size or bigger—into a fusion furnace?
HAROLD SHAW PENOBSCOT, ME.
—Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for silicon
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Callum Sutherland, Time, 23 May 2025
The idea, which seemed impossible to many two decades ago, was to create large amounts of tiny rays of extreme ultraviolet light, projecting it through masks with increasingly small chip designs, onto wafers of silicon treated with photoresist chemicals.
—Katie Tarasov, CNBC, 22 May 2025
The rest of the silicon is no slouch, with a speedy Core Ultra 9 processor coupled with 32GB of system memory.
—K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 21 May 2025
Can that occur from sending a chunk of metal and silicon—even one that is boxcar-size or bigger—into a fusion furnace?
HAROLD SHAW PENOBSCOT, ME.
—Aaron Shattuck, Scientific American, 20 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for silicon
Cite this Entry
“Silicon.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silicon. Accessed 4 Jun. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share