silo
noun
si·lo
| \ ˈsī-(ˌ)lō
\
\
plural silos
Definition of silo
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
: a trench, pit, or especially a tall cylinder (as of wood or concrete) usually sealed to exclude air and used for making and storing silage
2a
: a deep bin for storing material (such as coal)
b
: an underground structure for housing a guided missile
These are weapons that can hit military targets, such as missile silos and headquarters, swiftly and accurately …— Leslie H. Gelb
3
: an isolated grouping, department, etc., that functions apart from others especially in a way seen as hindering communication and cooperation
Big, complex companies are typically structured so that decision making is separated according to function, geography and product. That naturally creates silos.— John H. Howard Examples of silos in blue-chip firms abound: Sony once had two separate divisions working on creating the same electrical plug without anyone realizing it.— Rana Foroohar To break down silos individual officials need a stronger sense of belonging to a bigger whole, with norms and expectations spanning all departments and agencies.— David Walker Moorhouse came to the paper determined to break down its "silos"—MBA-speak for self-contained departments that don't have anything to do with other departments in a business.— Mark Fitzgerald
silo
verb
siloed;
siloing;
siloes
Definition of silo (Entry 2 of 2)
1
: to place or store (material, such as grain) in a silo
2
: to isolate (someone or something, such as a grouping or department) in a way that hinders communication and cooperation with others : to place (someone or something) in an isolated silo (see silo entry 1 sense 3)
One step banks can take to balance efforts, [Emmett] Higdon suggested, is to stop siloing mobile and online banking development efforts and channels.— Nathan DiCamillo
Examples of silo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Enjoy a unique lodging option at the Fredericksburg Herb Farm, where families can rent out a silo room. — Darla Guillen Gilthorpe, Houston Chronicle, "Where to go and where to stay on a budget family road trip in Texas," 29 Aug. 2019 This feels like you’re being led around by the nose, creating new, if sophisticated, classical silos. — Los Angeles Times, "Commentary: Classical streaming has arrived. How do the new services stack up?," 29 Aug. 2019 As word spread that silos would be crumbling in the middle of the Atlantic, 20 companies said yes. — Rowan Jacobsen, Outside Online, "An Ocean Plastics Field Trip for Corporate Executives," 8 Aug. 2019 The space has a gas fireplace, mahogany bookshelves, an adjoining card room, a TV screen that lowers from the ceiling, and a barn-like silo with a corkscrew stairwell that ends in a viewing platform. — John R. Ellement, BostonGlobe.com, "Doris Kearns Goodwin plans to sell Concord home," 7 Aug. 2019 The ships are fitted with 80 Mark 57 vertical launch systems, each a silo capable of storing SM-2, SM-6, and Evolved Sea Sparrow air defense missiles, ASROC anti-submarine rockets, and LRASM anti-ship missiles. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Everything We Know About the USS Zumwalt Destroyers," 5 Aug. 2019 The site features a 1,400-foot pier and a 700-foot pier as well as a former grain elevator and storage silos. — Meredith Cohn, baltimoresun.com, "Real estate firm buys Baltimore waterfront property with an eye toward port-related business," 14 June 2019 The combination of Homer, his new pet pig, and a leaky silo full of excrement triggers a disaster that threatens not just Springfield but the world. — Los Angeles Times, "Here are the feature and TV films airing the week of Sunday, Aug. 11, 2019," 11 Aug. 2019 The edges are squared off instead of rounded, the stylus is sitting there in its silo. — Dieter Bohn, The Verge, "Samsung Galaxy Note 10 announced: two sizes, new S Pen, and DeX on your laptop," 7 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'silo.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for silo
silo
noun
English Language Learners Definition of silo
: a tower that is used to store food (such as grain or grass) for farm animals
: an underground structure that is used for storing and firing a missile
See the full definition for silo in the English Language Learners Dictionary
silo
noun
si·lo
| \ ˈsī-lō
\
\
plural silos
Kids Definition of silo
: a covered trench, pit, or especially a tall round building in which silage is made and stored
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