ˈsilə̇kən, -lēkən, -ləˌkän noun
( -s )
Etymology: silica + -on (as in carbon )
: a tetravalent nonmetallic element that occurs in combined form as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust, that can be obtained as brittle hard lustrous gray crystals with the lattice structure of diamond, as a glistening black graphitic form, or as a dark brown powder, that is usually prepared by reducing silica with carbon in an electric furnace, and that is used chiefly in the form of alloys (as ferrosilicon), in combination with ceramic materials in cermets, and as a semiconductor (as in transistors) and element in photovoltaic cells
silicon plays an important part in the inorganic world, similar to that played by carbon in the organic world — Linus Pauling
— symbol Si ; see element table