A structure for storing bulk materials. Silos are most commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use today: tower silos, bunker silos, and bag silos.
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary
silo (noun)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
2.
a) a deep bin for storing material (as coal)
b) an underground structure for housing a guided missile
Silo (Wikipedia)
A silo (from Ancient Greek σιρός (sirós) 'pit for holding grain') is a structure for storing bulk materials.
Silos are commonly used for bulk storage of grain, coal, cement, carbon black, woodchips, food products and sawdust. Three types of silos are in widespread use today: tower silos, bunker silos, and bag silos.
Silos are used in agriculture to store fermented feed known as silage.
Silo (Wiktionary)
English
Etymology
From Spanish silo, of unclear origin. See Spanish silo for more.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈsaɪloʊ/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈsaɪləʊ/
- Rhymes: -aɪləʊ
Noun
silo (plural silos or siloes)
- (agriculture) A vertical building, usually cylindrical, used for the production of silage.
- (agriculture) From the shape, a building used for the storage of grain.
- Synonyms: granary
Compartment, storage unit, container, repository, vault