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silicon
[ sil-i-kuhn, -kon ]
noun
- 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
/ ˈɪɪə /
noun
- 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
- modifier; sometimes capital denoting an area of a country that contains a density of high-technology industry
silicon
/ ĭ′ĭ-ŏ′ /
- 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.
- See Periodic Table
silicon
- A chemical element from which semiconductors are made. It is also used in the manufacture of glass, concrete, brick, and pottery.
yvlog History and Origins
yvlog History and Origins
Origin of silicon1
Compare Meanings
How does silicon compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Example Sentences
The news about TSMC, which has a reputation as Taiwan’s “silicon shield,” has sparked heated debate over whether the company’s plan to build in the United States could undermine national security.
The 20,000 new jobs it plans to hire for will mostly focus on research and development, silicon engineering, AI and machine learning, the Cupertino, Calif.-based company said.
A host of technology firms, including the silicon valley giants, are currently engaged in a multi-billion dollar race to develop a quantum computer powerful enough to solve these problems.
The way these huge machines blast droplets of tin with a pulsed CO2 laser, then direct the EUV laser towards the silicon wafer, is something out of a sci-fi film.
“One very common theory amongst philosophers and neuroscientists is functionalism, the idea that all that really matters is the function, not whether something is made of biology or silicon or anything else,” Zeleznikow-Johnston said.
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