phyllosilicate

[ fil-oh-sil-i-kit, -keyt ]
/ ˌfɪl oʊˈsɪl ɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt /

noun

any silicate mineral having the tetrahedral silicate groups linked in sheets, each group containing four oxygen atoms, three of which are shared with other groups so that the ratio of silicon atoms to oxygen atoms is two to five.

Origin of phyllosilicate

First recorded in 1945–50; phyllo- + silicate

Words nearby phyllosilicate

phyllophagous, phyllophore, phylloplane, phyllopod, phylloquinone, phyllosilicate, phyllosphere, phyllotaxis, phyllotaxy, phylloxera, phylo-

British Dictionary definitions for phyllosilicate

phyllosilicate
/ (ˌfɪləʊˈsɪlɪkeɪt) /

noun

any of a class of silicate minerals, including talc, consisting of thin sheets