# silicon
## English
### Pronunciation

* enPR: sĭl'ĭkən, (UK, US, Canada, General Australian) IPA: /ˈsɪlɪkən/
** Audio (New Jersey); /ˈsɪlɪkən/:(file)
* enPR: sĭl'ĭkŏn′
** (Received Pronunciation, Canada) IPA: /ˈsɪləkɒn/
** (General American) IPA: /ˈsɪləˌkɑn/

### Etymology 1

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.

#### Noun

silicon (usually uncountable, plural silicons)
* (chemistry, uncountable) A nonmetallic element (symbol Si) with an atomic number of 14 and atomic weight of 28.0855.
    Synonyms: (obsolete) silicium, (obsolete) silicum
** 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, 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.
* (chemistry, countable) A single atom of this element.

##### Usage notes

Do not confuse silicon with silicone.

##### Derived terms

* cuprosilicon
* Cwm Silicon
* disilicon
* ekasilicon
* ferrosilicon
* float-zone silicon
* lithium-drifted silicon detector
* nanosilicon
* nonsilicon
* organosilicon
* polysilicon
* radiosilicon
* silicene
* silician
* silicide
* silico-
* silicon-28
* silicon-29
* silicon-30
* silicon alkoxide
* Silicon Alley
* silicon-based
* silicon bronze
* silicon burning
* silicon carbide
* silicon chip
* silicon controlled rectifier
* silicon-controlled rectifier
* silicon curtain
* silicon dioxide
* silicon disk
* silicon ester
* Silicon Fen
* Silicon Forest
* silicon germanide
* silicon germanium
* Silicon Glen
* Silicon Hills
* silicon hydride
* silicon iron
* siliconise, siliconize
* Siliconite
* siliconlike
* silicon monoxide
* silicon nitride
* silicon oxide
* silicon photonics
* silicon planet
* Silicon Prairie
* Silicon Roundabout
* silicon rubber
* Silicon Sentier
* silicon steel
* silicon tet
* silicon tetrabromide
* silicon tetrachloride
* silicon tetrafluoride
* Silicon Valley
* Silicon Wadi
* silicon wafer
* silicyne
* silsesquioxane
* silundum
* sima
* strained silicon
* tetrasilicon
* zincsilite

##### Related terms

* silane
* silex
* silica
* silicate
* silice
* siliceous, silicious
* silici-
* silicic
* siliciferous
* silicified
* silicify
* silicisation, silicization
* silico-
* silicone
* silicosis
* silicotic

##### Translations
#### See also

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

### Etymology 2

From the silicon chips used in computers.

#### Noun

silicon (uncountable)
* (slang) Computing.
* (slang) A computer processor.
* Abbreviation of silicon chip.

##### Derived terms

* silicon lottery

### Further reading

* David Barthelmy (1997–2025) “Silicon”, in Webmineral Mineralogy Database.
* “silicon”, in Mindat.org‎, Hudson Institute of Mineralogy, 2000–2025.

## Romanian
### Etymology

Borrowed from French silicone.

### Noun

silicon m (plural siliconi)
* (chemistry) silicone

#### Declension
### Noun

silicon n (plural silicoane)
* (informal, chiefly in the plural) breast implant

#### Related terms

* siliciu

## Welsh
### Etymology

Borrowed from English silicon, a modification of silicium, from Latin silex (“flint, silica”).

### Pronunciation

* IPA: /ˈsɪlɪˌkɔn/
* Rhymes: -ɪlɪkɔn

### Noun

silicon m (uncountable, not mutable)
* silicon
    Synonym: callestrai

### Further reading

* R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “silicon”, in Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online (in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies