Silicon
/ˈsɪl.ɪ.kən/noun
A chemical element with atomic number 14, widely used in glassmaking, semiconductors, and electronic devices.
Did you know?The element’s name was modeled partly on carbon and boron, while its root comes from Latin silex, meaning flint or hard stone.
Etymological Timeline
Classical Latin
Latin
silex; silicis
“Flint or hard stone; the genitive form supplied the stem silic-.”
17th Century
Latin
silica
“A name for the substance found in flint and other siliceous materials.”
1817
English
silicon
“A proposed name for the newly isolated element, formed from silic- with the chemical suffix -on.”
1824
Swedish
kisel
“Berzelius’s term for the element, derived from Swedish kis, meaning pyrites or a mineral resembling flint.”
Modern English
English
silicon
“The nonmetallic element used in glass, ceramics, alloys, solar cells, and semiconductor technology.”