polysilicon

P3O1L1Y4S1I1L1I1C3O1N1

adjective

Containing many silicon atoms, especially when linked into chains or networks.

OriginEnglish silicon ← French carbone ← Latin carbōnem →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

adjectivepolysilicon (not comparable)
  1. not comparablechemistryContaining many silicon atoms, especially when linked into chains or networks.
nounpolysilicon (uncountable)
  1. uncountablebusinessPolycrystalline silicon: A polycrystalline form of silicon used in some solid-state devices, especially solar cells.

    Similarly Poly Engineering, an Italian maker of polysilicon—the key ingredient in solar panels—transferred key production knowhow to China's Daqo New Energy in 2008, helping China break the grip on polysilicon supply held by the US, Europe and Japan.

    2026 January 13, Rachel Millard, Alice Hancock, Nic Fildes, “How the west fell behind in green tech”, in Financial Times, Big Read, page 15

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*pleh₁-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*polh₁ús
  3. Ancient Greekπολῠ́ς (polŭ́s)
  4. Englishpoly-
  5. Latinsilex
  6. New Latinsilicium
  7. Englishsilicium
  8. Proto-Indo-European*kerh₃-der.?
  9. Latincarbōnem
  10. Frenchcarbone
  11. Englishcarbonbf.
  12. Englishsilicon
  13. Englishpolysilicon

From poly- + silicon.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

polysilicon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysilicon

MLA

“polysilicon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysilicon. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “polysilicon,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/polysilicon.

Source: polysilicon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.