silo
/ˈsaɪloʊ/
noun
Origin
Spanish
siro — pit for storing grain
Overview
Meaning Now
- A tower or pit on a farm used to store grain or fermented feed for livestock.
- A deep underground structure for housing and launching a guided missile.
- A system, process, department, or attitude that operates in isolation from others within an organization.
Literal older meaning
pit or cellar for storing grain
Language path
Ancient Greek → Spanish → English
Earliest form
silo
Earliest period
19th century
Journey
The term moved from agricultural settings to military and corporate jargon. In the Cold War, the vertical shape of farm silos inspired the design and naming of ballistic missile launch sites. In contemporary corporate culture, the term 'siloed' describes a negative phenomenon where departments withhold information or refuse to cooperate with other units.
Evolution
- Ancient Greek
siros
“pit for holding grain”
- Spanish
silo
“underground storage pit”
Transition from Greek through regional Mediterranean usage
- 19th-century English
silo
“farm storage structure”
Introduced via agricultural practices
- 20th-century English
silo
“missile housing”
Metaphorical extension due to vertical shape
- Late 20th-century English
silo
“isolated organizational unit”
Business jargon for lack of inter-departmental communication
Connections
Word parts
silo
root
storage pit
Explore next
Related to silo
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.