silicate

[ sil-i-kit, -keyt ]
/ ˈsɪl ɪ kɪt, -ˌkeɪt /

noun

Mineralogy. any of the largest group of mineral compounds, as quartz, beryl, garnet, feldspar, mica, and various kinds of clay, consisting of SiO2 or SiO4 groupings and one or more metallic ions, with some forms containing hydrogen. Silicates constitute well over 90 percent of the rock-forming minerals of the earth's crust.
Chemistry. any salt derived from the silicic acids or from silica.

Origin of silicate

First recorded in 1805–15; silic(a) + -ate2

OTHER WORDS FROM silicate

sil·i·ca·tion [sil-i-key-shuh n] /ˌsɪl ɪˈkeɪ ʃən/, noun non·sil·i·cate, noun sub·sil·i·cate, noun

Words nearby silicate

silex, silhouette, silica, silica gel, silica glass, silicate, silicates, silicatosis, siliceous, silici-, silicic

Example sentences from the Web for silicate

British Dictionary definitions for silicate

silicate
/ (ˈsɪlɪkɪt, -ˌkeɪt) /

noun

a salt or ester of silicic acid, esp one of a large number of usually insoluble salts with polymeric negative ions having a structure formed of tetrahedrons of SiO 4 groups linked in rings, chains, sheets, or three dimensional frameworks. Silicates constitute a large proportion of the earth's minerals and are present in cement and glass

Medical definitions for silicate

silicate
[ sĭl′ĭ-kāt′, -kĭt ]

n.

Any of numerous compounds containing silicon, oxygen, and one or more metals; a salt of silicic acid.

Scientific definitions for silicate

silicate
[ sĭl′ĭ-kāt′ ]

Any of a large class of chemical compounds composed of silicon, oxygen, and at least one metal. Most rocks and minerals are silicates.
Any mineral containing the group SiO4, either isolated, or joined to other groups in chains, sheets, or three-dimensional groups with metal elements. Micas and feldspars are silicate minerals.