silicon

• enPR: sĭl'ĭkən, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪlɪkən/; enPR: sĭl'ĭkŏn, IPA^(key): /ˈsɪləkɑn/

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From the stem of Latin silex (“flint, silica”) + -on from carbon.

silicon (usually uncountable, plural silicons)

1. (chemistry, uncountable) A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.
   • 1970, James W[alter] Mayer; Lennart Eriksson; John A[rthur] Davies, “General Features of Ion Implantation”, in Ion Implantation in Semiconductors: Silicon and Germanium, New York, N.Y.: Academic Press, OCLC 912401876, page 5:

     The isolated disordered regions and the amorphous layer have widely different anneal behavior. In the case of germanium and silicon, the isolated disordered regions anneal at moderate temperatures of approximately 200° and 300° C, respectively. The amorphous layers also anneal in a characteristic fashion, but at appreciably higher temperatures, i.e., at approximately 600° C in silicon and 400° C in germanium.

2. (chemistry, countable) A single atom of this element.

Do not confuse silicon with silicone.

• silicium (obsolete), silicum (obsolete)

• agate
• amethyst
• asbestos
• clay
• feldspar
• flint
• glass
• granite
• hornblende
• jasper
• mica
• opal
• quartz
• rock crystal
• sand

From the silicon chips used in computers

silicon (uncountable)

1. (slang) computing
2. (slang) computer processor
3. Abbreviation of silicon chip.

• “Silicon” in David Barthelmy, Webmineral Mineralogy Database, 1997–.
• “silicon”, in Mindat.org‎, Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, accessed 29 August 2016.

Borrowed from French silicone.

silicon m (plural siliconi)

1. (chemistry) silicone

silicon n (plural silicoane)

1. (informal, chiefly in the plural) breast implant

• siliciu