Standard Lemma guide

silo

noun · verb · 11 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈsaɪləʊ/
  • Canada, General-American: /ˈsaɪloʊ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • Australian: /ˈsɑe.ləʉ/
  • New-Zealand: [ˈsɑe̯.lɐʉ̯]
  • rhymes with -aɪləʊ
  • CMU ARPABET: S AY1 L OW0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A vertical building, usually cylindrical, used for the production of silage.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: agriculture, business, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

From the shape, a building used for the storage of grain.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: agriculture, business, lifestyle

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: granary, grain elevator

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

An underground bunker used to hold missiles which may be launched.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: government, military, politics, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An organizational unit that has poor interaction with other units, negatively affecting overall performance.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, informal

Topics: management

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

A structure in the information system that is poorly networked with other structures, with data exchange hampered.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, informal

Topics: computing, engineering, informatics, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

Examples

  • Our networking is organized in silos, and employees lose time manually transferring data.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: information silo

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

A group of like-minded individuals who are not exposed to outside opinions or input.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: derogatory, slang

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: echo chamber

Antonyms: none provided

7

noun

Meaning 7

In Microsoft Windows operating systems, a kernel object for isolating groups of threads.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Topics: computing, engineering, mathematics, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, sciences

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

verb

Meaning 8

To store in a silo.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: ensile

Antonyms: none provided

9

verb

Meaning 9

To separate; to isolate.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

10

noun

Meaning 10

a cylindrical tower used for storing silage

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: tower

11

noun

Meaning 11

military installation consisting of an underground structure where ballistic missiles can be stored and fired

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: military installation

History

Etymology

From Spanish silo, of unclear origin. See Spanish silo for more.

Across languages

Translations

53 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: صَوْمَعَة (ṣawmaʕa) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Armenian: սիլոս (silos) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Bulgarian: силоз (siloz) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Catalan: sitja — vertical building for storing grain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 筒倉 /筒仓 (tǒngcāng) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Chinese Mandarin: 糧倉 /粮仓 (liángcāng) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Czech: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Esperanto: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Esperanto: stokoturo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Esperanto: turstokejo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Esperanto: insilujo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Finnish: siilo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Finnish: viljasiilo — vertical building for storing grain
  • French: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Galician: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • German: Silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • German: Kornspeicher — vertical building for storing grain
  • Ancient Greek: σιρός (sirós) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Hungarian: siló — vertical building for storing grain
  • Indonesian: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Italian: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Japanese: サイロ (sairo) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Korean: 사일로 (saillo) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Central Kurdish: سایلۆ (saylo) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Macedonian: силос (silos) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Malay: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Māori: pātaka pata — vertical building for storing grain
  • Norwegian Bokmål: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Persian: سیلو (silu) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Polish: silos — vertical building for storing grain
  • Portuguese: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Romanian: siloz — vertical building for storing grain
  • Russian: си́лос (sílos) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Russian: элева́тор (elevátor) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Russian: си́лосная ба́шня (sílosnaja bášnja) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Russian: зернохрани́лище (zernoxranílišče) — vertical building for storing grain
  • Serbo-Croatian: silos — vertical building for storing grain
  • Spanish: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Swedish: silo — vertical building for storing grain
  • Tarifit: tasraft — vertical building for storing grain
  • Turkish: görür — vertical building for storing grain
  • Bulgarian: шахта (šahta) — underground bunker
  • Chinese Mandarin: 發射井 /发射井 (fāshèjǐng) — underground bunker
  • Czech: silo — underground bunker
  • Finnish: siilo — underground bunker
  • French: silo — underground bunker
  • German: Raketensilo — underground bunker
  • Hungarian: rakétasiló — underground bunker
  • Russian: ста́ртовая ша́хта (stártovaja šáxta) — underground bunker
  • Russian: раке́тная ша́хта (rakétnaja šáxta) — underground bunker
  • Serbo-Croatian: podzemni silos — underground bunker
  • Spanish: silo — underground bunker