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
silicon
How to use silicon in a sentence. Example sentences and definitions for silicon.
Editorial note
Moissanite is silicon and carbon in the same type of crystal structure.
Quick take
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
Meaning at a glance
The clearest senses and uses of silicon gathered in one view.
Definitions
Core meanings and parts of speech for silicon.
noun
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
See also: Si
Example sentences
Moissanite is silicon and carbon in the same type of crystal structure.
The result was that they called me a "silicon valley douche"[1] which I can't help to find entertaining even still today.
General purpose computers achieve good economics by limiting memory and I/O bandwidth to stuff that will fit in a single piece of silicon.
Frequently asked questions
Short answers drawn from the clearest meanings and examples for this word.
How do you use silicon in a sentence?
Moissanite is silicon and carbon in the same type of crystal structure.
What does silicon mean?
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
What part of speech is silicon?
silicon is commonly used as noun.