noun

silo

SEYE-loh

noun

A tall tower or pit used to store grain, animal feed, or other bulk material.

"The farm's grain silo towered over the barn."

An underground structure used to store and launch missiles.

"The old missile silo had been converted into a private bunker."

A department or group that works in isolation, without sharing information with others.

"Marketing and sales operated in separate silos, which slowed everything down."

verb

To keep something isolated and separate from related things or people.

"The new policy siloed customer data away from the support team who needed it."

How to Use Silo

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA storage tower (for grain or missiles), or, more loosely, a team or system that is cut off from others.

Common pairings

grain silo missile silo work in silos break down silos

siloed past tense, silos plural, siloes plural, siloes singular, silos singular

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The farm's grain _____ towered over the barn.

Borrowed from Spanish silo, of uncertain earlier origin.

lilo milo Philo