silo

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a tall structure used to store grain or fermented animal feed

   The farm stored winter silage in a concrete silo.

2. 2
   noun

   an underground structure used to store and launch a missile

   The decommissioned missile silo was sealed.

3. 3
   noun

   a group, system, or store of information isolated from others

   Each department kept its data in a separate silo.

4. 4
   verb

   to isolate people, information, or operations from one another

   Separate reporting systems siloed the regional teams.

Borrowed from Spanish silo, 'pit or underground grain store,' of uncertain earlier origin. The figurative organizational sense compares isolated information or teams to separate storage structures.

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