silicon
/ˈsɪlɪk(ə)n
/noun [mass noun]
The chemical element of atomic number 14, a non-metal with semiconducting properties, used in making electronic circuits. Pure silicon exists in a shiny dark grey crystalline form and as an amorphous powder. (Symbol: Si) As silicon doesn't conduct electricity, impurities are added so it becomes a conductor....
- Silicosis is caused when silicon, fine particles of rock, enters the lungs and cuts lung tissue.
- The most common technology for harvesting energy from sunlight is the photovoltaic cell based on silicon.
Origin
Early 19th century: alteration of earlier silicium, from Latin silex, silic- 'flint', on the pattern of carbon and boron.