noun

silicon

SIL-ih-kun/ˈsɪlɪkən/

a chemical element widely used to make semiconductors

The silicon crystal sits beside a circular semiconductor wafer.

A dark-gray lustrous silicon crystal chunk beside a blank circular semiconductor wafer, central element material and electronics use distinct from sand; no lettering or circuitry labels.

Etymology

Silicon was named from silica because the element was isolated from that compound. Its ending follows names such as carbon, marking the distinction between the element and the compound that supplied it.

In context

ThinkTech Hawaii3:38

there's always been sort of a fundamental base in semiconductors and Microsystems and sort of silicon based products

Deciphering The "Inscrutable" Japanese and their Neighbors (We Like The 1%)

More examples

Many solar cells contain silicon.
Engineers add tiny amounts of other elements to silicon.
The factory slices purified silicon into thin wafers.