# silicon

/ˈsɪɫəkən/ (US) · /sˈɪlɪkən/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/silicon
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. chemical element

noun · CEFR B2

a natural substance found in the earth that is used to make glass and electronic parts.

For teachers: a tetravalent metalloid element used extensively in the manufacture of glass, concrete, and ceramics.

- Silicon is the second most common element in the Earth's crust after oxygen.
- The purity of the silicon used in industrial manufacturing determines the quality of the resulting glass and ceramic products.

Usage: Uncountable when referring to the element in general.

### 2. computing technology

noun · CEFR C1 · Informal · Technical

a word for computer chips or the technology industry.

For teachers: the semiconductor material used in integrated circuits; often used metonymically for the hardware or the industry itself.

- The company is designing its own silicon to make the new phones faster.
- The shift toward custom silicon has allowed laptop manufacturers to achieve significantly better battery life than they could with off-the-shelf processors.

Teaching tip: In business and tech news, 'silicon' often refers to the physical hardware or the chips themselves, as opposed to the software.

## Examples

- Silicon is the main material used to make computer processors.
- The tech industry relies heavily on the supply of high-purity silicon to manufacture modern smartphones and laptops.
- As a semiconductor, silicon possesses electrical conductivity between that of a metal and an insulator, making it the foundational material for the integrated circuits that power the digital age.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.