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
Meta, whose family of AI models called Llama reportedly crossed 600 million monthly users last year, is far from the only player designing its own silicon.
—
Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Finally, Apple says the M4 MacBook Air laptops can last up to 18 hours on their batteries, thanks to efficiency gains via the new silicon.
—Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 5 Mar. 2025
The size of the features that can be transferred onto that silicon substrate is determined by the imaging system and by the wavelength of light.
—Jayson Stewart, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025
Living fast and dying young, the first stars seeded their surroundings with elements like oxygen, carbon and silicon via their explosively violent deaths as supernovae.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for silicon
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Rashi Shrivastava, Forbes, 12 Mar. 2025
Finally, Apple says the M4 MacBook Air laptops can last up to 18 hours on their batteries, thanks to efficiency gains via the new silicon.
—Joe Osborne, PCMAG, 5 Mar. 2025
The size of the features that can be transferred onto that silicon substrate is determined by the imaging system and by the wavelength of light.
—Jayson Stewart, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Mar. 2025
Living fast and dying young, the first stars seeded their surroundings with elements like oxygen, carbon and silicon via their explosively violent deaths as supernovae.
—Conor Feehly, Scientific American, 4 Mar. 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 22 Mar. 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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