computer SOFTWARE and HARDWARE are based there. It is called Silicon Valley because the computer industry is based on the SILICON CHIP.
sil-i-co-sis /,sɪlɪˈkəʊsɪs/ n [U] a lung disease, especially among miners, stonecutters etc, caused by breathing of SILICA dust over long periods → compare BLACK LUNG, PNEUMOCO-NIOSIS
silk·en /'sɪlkən/ adj lit 1 soft, smooth, and shiny like silk; silky: silken hair 2 made of silk: silken garments
silk /silk/ n 1 [U] (smooth soft cloth made from) fine thread which is produced by a silkworm: a dress made of the finest silk | artificial silk | a silk blouse/kimono 2 [C] BrE tech a KC or QC 3 take silk BrE tech to become a KC or QC (=titles given when a king or queen is ruling) → see also SILKS 4 you can't make a silk purse from/out of a sow's ear nothing good can be made from material that is bad, or of poor quality
'Silk ,Road, the an ancient ROUTE along which silk was carried from China and across central Asia to the Eastern Mediterranean and Europe
Silk 'Cut' trademark a type of cigarette sold in the UK, which has less TAR than some other types of cigarette
silks /sɪlks/ n [U;P] the coloured shirts worn by JOCKEYs
'silk screen n [U] a way of printing on a surface by forcing paint or ink onto it through a specially prepared stretched piece of cloth
silk·worm /'sɪlkwɜːmll-wɜːrm/ n a CATERPILLAR (=a type of young insect) which produces a COCOON (=a covering for its body) of silk
silk·y /'sɪlki/ adj like silk; soft, smooth, and shiny; fine: the cat's fine silky fur | silky hair | (fig.) a silky voice —ily adv —iness n [U]
sill /sɪl/ n the flat piece at the base of an opening or frame, especially a window → see also WINDOWSILL
Sills, Bev•er•ly /sɪlz, 'bevəˈlɪl-ər-/ (1929-) a US OPERA singer who was director of the New York City Opera from 1978 to 1989. She helped to make opera popular with people who did not know much about it, by putting it on television translated into English.
sil-ly¹ /'sili/ adj 1 having or showing a lack of good sense and judgment; foolish; not serious or sensible: It's silly to go out in the rain if you don't have to. | How silly of me! I've left my key at home. | He's called Algernon? What a silly name. | a silly-looking hat | That's the silliest idea I've ever heard! 2 [F] infml unable to think or feel clearly; senseless: I took a swing at him and knocked him silly. | After-dinner speeches bore me silly. (=very much) 3 (of a fielding (FIELD) position in cricket) in front of and dangerously near the BATSMAN: silly mid-off —liness n [U]
silly² also ,silly 'billy n infml a silly person; a word used especially when talking to children: No, silly, I didn't mean that!
'silly, season n [the S] infml, especially BrE a period in the summer when there is less political news than usual, and so newspapers print silly stories about unimportant things: The silly season must be upon us when a letter from Professor Anthony Field is devoted to hamburgers in Hampstead.
si-lo /'saɪləʊ/ n pl. -los 1 a round tower-like enclosure on a farm for storing winter food for cattle 2 a large underground enclosure used a) as a base from which a large MISSILE can be fired b) for storing e.g. winter food or FUEL
silt¹ /silt/ n [U] loose sand, mud, soil etc, carried in running water and then dropped, e.g. at the entrance to a harbour, by a bend in a river, etc
silt up phr v [l;T(= silt sthg. ⇔ up)] to fill or become filled with silt: The old harbour silted up years ago; it's now all silted up.
sil·van /'sɪlvən/ adj especially lit SYLVAN
sil·ver¹ /'sɪlvər/n 1 [U] a soft whitish precious metal that is a simple substance (ELEMENT), carries electricity very well, can be brightly polished, and is used in jewellery, coins, and knives, forks etc: hallmarked silver 2 [U] coins made of silver or a similar metal, and not of copper: All I've got is a £5 note and about a pound in silver: 3 [U] spoons, forks, dishes etc, for the table, made of silver or a similar metal: to polish the silver 4 [C] a SILVER MEDAL 5 sell off the family silver to sell a valuable ASSET (=piece of property) which ought to be kept for future use, for less than its real value in order to get money quickly and easily. The phrase was used a lot in the 1980s in speaking of the government's PRIVATION of companies formerly owned by the state. 6 thirty pieces of silver (in the Bible) the payment that Judas received for betraying (BETRAY) Jesus. The expression is sometimes used to describe money that someone receives for a disloyal action.
silver² adj 1 made of silver: polished silver forks | Is your ring silver? → see also SILVER SPOON 2 of the colour of silver: a silver-haired old man
silver $ ^{3} $ v [T] tech to cover with a thin shiny silver-coloured surface so as to make a mirror
Silver the name of the LONE RANGER's horse in a US television show. The Lone Ranger always said 'Hi ho Silver!' before riding away on him.
Silver, Long John → see LONG JOHN SILVER
,silver anni versary n AmE → see SILVER WEDDING
,silver 'birch n the common BIRCH tree, which has a silvery-white trunk and branches
,silver 'dollar n a former US one dollar coin, now collected and valuable because of its high silver content
sil-ver-fish /'sɪlvəfɪʃl-ər-/ n.pl. -fish or -fishes a small silver-coloured wingless insect which is found in houses and which sometimes damages paper and cloth
silver 'jubilee n the date that is exactly 25 years after the date of a particular important event: to celebrate the Queen's Silver Jubilee → compare DIAMOND JUBILEE, GOLDEN JUBILEE
,silver 'lining n an unexpected good side or good result of a bad or unfortunate happening (from a phrase every cloud has a silver lining): However much gloom and doom might appear the order of the day in the current business world, there is invariably a silver lining somewhere doing its best to break through the depression.
,silver 'medal also silver n a MEDAL of silver given to the person who comes second in a race or competition → see also BRONZE MEDAL, GOLD MEDAL
,silver 'paper also ,silver 'foil n [U] paper with one bright metallic surface, used e.g. in packets for cigarettes or food
,silver 'plate n [U] metal with a thin outer surface of silver
——plated adj: a silver-plated spoon
Silvers, Phil /'sɪlvəz|-vərz, fil/ (1912–85) a US COMIC actor, known especially for appearing on television as the character Sergeant BILKO in The Phil Silvers Show (1955–59)
silver screen n [the] the film industry: Chaplin and other stars of the silver screen
sil-ver-smith /'silvə,smɪθ-ər-/ n a person who makes things out of silver
silver 'spoon n born with a silver spoon in one's mouth to be born into a very wealthy family: She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, so she has no idea how most people live.
Sil·ver·stone /'sɪlvəstəʊnɪl-vər-/ a motor racing track in south-central England. The British GRAND PRIX (=an important international motor race) is held at Silverstone.
,silver-tongued adj especially lit able to give fine persuading speeches; ELOQUENT
sil·ver·ware /'silvəweər‖-vər-/ n [U] 1 things made of silver, especially knives, spoons, dishes etc 2 AmE CUTLERY made of any metal
,silver 'wedding also ,silver 'wedding anni,versary BrE || silver anniversary especially AmE n the date that is exactly 25 years after the date of a wedding and on which people usually celebrate. It is customary to give people who have been married for 25 years presents made of silver. → compare DIAMOND WEDDING, GOLDEN WEDDING
sil·very /'sɪlvəri/ adj 1 like silver in shine and colour 2 especially lit having a pleasant metallic or musical sound: silvery bells | peals of silvery laughter
sim card /'sim kɑːdɪl-kɑːrd/ n a special plastic card in a MOBILE PHONE, containing a MICROCHIP that stores your personal information and allows you to use the phone
Si-me-non, Georges /'sɪmənənl,sɪmən,
303||3033/(1903–89) a Belgian writer of DETECTIVE NOVELS