Definitions for silicon
ˈsɪl ɪ kən, -ˌkɒnsil·i·con

Princeton's WordNetRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. silicon, Si, atomic number 14noun

   a tetravalent nonmetallic element; next to oxygen it is the most abundant element in the earth's crust; occurs in clay and feldspar and granite and quartz and sand; used as a semiconductor in transistors

WiktionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. siliconnoun

   A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.

2. Etymology: From the stem of silex ‘silica’.

WikipediaRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Silicon

   Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic luster, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it; and germanium, tin, lead, and flerovium are below it. It is relatively unreactive. Because of its high chemical affinity for oxygen, it was not until 1823 that Jöns Jakob Berzelius was first able to prepare it and characterize it in pure form. Its oxides form a family of anions known as silicates. Its melting and boiling points of 1414 °C and 3265 °C, respectively, are the second highest among all the metalloids and nonmetals, being surpassed only by boron. Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure element in the Earth's crust. It is widely distributed in space in cosmic dusts, planetoids, and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide (silica) or silicates. More than 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust (about 28% by mass), after oxygen. Most silicon is used commercially without being separated, often with very little processing of the natural minerals. Such use includes industrial construction with clays, silica sand, and stone. Silicates are used in Portland cement for mortar and stucco, and mixed with silica sand and gravel to make concrete for walkways, foundations, and roads. They are also used in whiteware ceramics such as porcelain, and in traditional silicate-based soda-lime glass and many other specialty glasses. Silicon compounds such as silicon carbide are used as abrasives and components of high-strength ceramics. Silicon is the basis of the widely used synthetic polymers called silicones. The late 20th century to early 21st century has been described as the Silicon Age (also known as the Digital Age or Information Age) because of the large impact that elemental silicon has on the modern world economy. The small portion of very highly purified elemental silicon used in semiconductor electronics (<10%) is essential to the transistors and integrated circuit chips used in most modern technology such as smartphones and other computers. In 2019, 32.4% of the semiconductor market segment was for networks and communications devices, and the semiconductors industry is projected to reach $726.73 billion by 2027. Silicon is an essential element in biology. Only traces are required by most animals, but some sea sponges and microorganisms, such as diatoms and radiolaria, secrete skeletal structures made of silica. Silica is deposited in many plant tissues.

ChatGPTRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. silicon

   Silicon is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is a hard, brittle crystalline solid with a blue-grey metallic lustre, and is a tetravalent metalloid and semiconductor. It is a member of group 14 in the periodic table: carbon is above it, and germanium, tin and lead are below it. It is widely distributed in dusts, sands, and planetoids as various forms of silicon dioxide or silicates. Silicon is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust, after oxygen. It is commonly used in semiconductors, fiber optic cables, and ceramics.

Webster DictionaryRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Siliconnoun

   a nonmetalic element analogous to carbon. It always occurs combined in nature, and is artificially obtained in the free state, usually as a dark brown amorphous powder, or as a dark crystalline substance with a meetallic luster. Its oxide is silica, or common quartz, and in this form, or as silicates, it is, next to oxygen, the most abundant element of the earth's crust. Silicon is characteristically the element of the mineral kingdom, as carbon is of the organic world. Symbol Si. Atomic weight 28. Called also silicium

2. Etymology: [See Silica.]

WikidataRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Silicon

   Silicon, a tetravalent metalloid, is a chemical element with the symbol Si and atomic number 14. It is less reactive than its chemical analog carbon, the nonmetal directly above it in the periodic table, but more reactive than germanium, the metalloid directly below it in the table. Controversy about silicon's character dates to its discovery; it was first prepared and characterized in pure form in 1823. In 1808, it was given the name silicium, with an -ium word-ending to suggest a metal, a name which the element retains in several non-English languages. However, its final English name, first suggested in 1817, reflects the more physically similar elements carbon and boron. Silicon is the eighth most common element in the universe by mass, but very rarely occurs as the pure free element in nature. It is most widely distributed in dusts, sands, planetoids, and planets as various forms of silicon dioxide or silicates. Over 90% of the Earth's crust is composed of silicate minerals, making silicon the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust after oxygen. Most silicon is used commercially without being separated, and indeed often with little processing of compounds from nature. These include direct industrial building-use of clays, silica sand and stone. Silica is used in ceramic brick. Silicate goes into Portland cement for mortar and stucco, and when combined with silica sand and gravel, to make concrete. Silicates are also in whiteware ceramics such as porcelain, and in traditional quartz-based soda-lime glass. More modern silicon compounds such as silicon carbide form abrasives and high-strength ceramics. Silicon is the basis of the ubiquitous synthetic silicon-based polymers called silicones.

The New Hacker's DictionaryRate this definition:5.0 / 1 vote

1. silicon

   Hardware, esp. ICs or microprocessor-based computer systems (compare iron). Contrasted with software. See also sandbender.

U.S. National Library of MedicineRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. Silicon

   A trace element that constitutes about 27.6% of the earth's crust in the form of SILICON DIOXIDE. It does not occur free in nature. Silicon has the atomic symbol Si, atomic number 14, and atomic weight 28.09.

Suggested ResourcesRate this definition:0.0 / 0 votes

1. silicon

   Song lyrics by silicon -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by silicon on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Element
   • Semiconductor

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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How to pronounce silicon?

1. Alex

   US English

   David

   US English

   Mark

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Libby

   British

   Mia

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Hayley

   Australian

   Natasha

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

   Priya

   Indian

   Neerja

   Indian

   Zira

   US English

   Oliver

   British

   Wendy

   British

   Fred

   US English

   Tessa

   South African

How to say silicon in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of silicon in Chaldean Numerology is: 5

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of silicon in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of silicon in a Sentence

1. Chief Executive Tom Enders:

   I think we see some promising avenues going forward. We have also decided to open a new innovation centre in Silicon Valley.

2. Marty Dropkin:

   Markets could get messy amid the fallout from Silicon Valley Bank’s collapse, alongside ongoing uncertainty over the future path of the global economy and interest rates.

3. Amnon Shashua:

   It's a formidable task, and there are going to be very very few actors who can go from silicon (chips) to self-driving systems, therefore, what we see in the industry and what will continue in the industry is a great consolidation.

4. Stephen Brown:

   The tax structure isn’t based on the economy of the future. It’s based on the economy of the past, if Reno is going to become another Silicon Valley, then it’s going need a tax structure that keeps up with providing services for that type of economy. It’s not going to be gaming and mining.

5. Nick Clegg:

   Silicon Valley Meta’s not whether you say the truth or not, it’s whether what you say or do incites violence and can be clearly linked to developments in the real world which threaten real world harm, silicon Valley Meta’s not about truth or lies. Now, the question will be whether that practice would be broadly applied to other leaders.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

References

1. ^ Princeton's WordNet
   http://wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=silicon
2. ^ Wiktionary
   https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Silicon
3. ^ Wikipedia
   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicon
4. ^ ChatGPT
   https://chat.openai.com
5. ^ Webster Dictionary
   https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/silicon
6. ^ Wikidata
   https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=silicon
7. ^ The New Hacker's Dictionary
   https://www.gutenberg.org/files/3008/3008-h/3008-h.htm#Silicon
8. ^ Usage in printed sources
   https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=silicon