silicate

American  

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

noun

1. Mineralogy. any of the largest group of mineral compounds, as quartz, beryl, garnet, feldspar, mica, and various kinds of clay, consisting of SiO 2 or SiO 4 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.

2. Chemistry. any salt derived from the silicic acids or from silica.

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silicate British  

/ ˈsɪlɪkɪt, -ˌkeɪt /

noun

1. 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

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silicate Scientific  

/ sĭl′ĭ-kāt′ /

1. Any of a large class of chemical compounds composed of silicon, oxygen, and at least one metal. Most rocks and minerals are silicates.

2. Any mineral containing the group SiO ₄, either isolated, or joined to other groups in chains, sheets, or three-dimensional groups with metal elements. Micas and feldspars are silicate minerals.

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nonsilicate
  noun
• silication
  noun
• subsilicate
  noun

Etymology

Origin of silicate

First recorded in 1805–15; silic(a) + -ate ²

Example Sentences

Their findings suggest that L 98-59 d has a mantle made of molten silicate, similar to lava on Earth.

From Science Daily • Mar. 17, 2026

Asbestos is a mined fibrous silicate that was widely used in home insulation, automobiles and other applications through the 1970s until its use was slowly phased out as its health impacts became widely known.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 29, 2026

Bags of gabbro and similar calcium-bearing silicate rocks fill a shed out back and dot the office.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 10, 2025

In this study, the researchers used a zeolite called iron-modified aluminum silicate, paired with an enzyme called alcohol oxidase.

From Science Daily • Dec. 4, 2024

The lack of craters and mountains strongly suggests that a thick ice crust, perhaps 100 kilometers deep, jackets the silicate interior.

From "Cosmos" by Carl Sagan