silicon
si·li·con
noun
1.
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
Origin
Coined by Scottish chemist Thomas Thomson as a modification of the earlier name silicium, from the stem of Latin silex (“flint, silica”) + -on from carbon.
Phrases
- Cwm Silicon
- float-zone silicon
- lithium-drifted silicon detector
- silicon alkoxide
- Silicon Alley
- silicon bronze
- silicon burning
- silicon carbide
- silicon lottery
Related words
Word family
Broader terms
WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.