mica

American  

[mahy-kuh] / ˈmaɪ kə /

noun

• micas
  plural

1. any member of a group of minerals, hydrous silicates of aluminum with other bases, chiefly potassium, magnesium, iron, and lithium, that separate readily into thin, tough, often transparent, and usually elastic laminae; isinglass.

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mica British  

/ ˈmaɪkə /

noun

1. any of a group of lustrous rock-forming minerals consisting of hydrous silicates of aluminium, potassium, etc, in monoclinic crystalline form, occurring in igneous and metamorphic rock. Because of their resistance to electricity and heat they are used as dielectrics, in heating elements, etc

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mica Scientific  

/ mī′kə /

1. Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals with the general formula (K,Na,Ca)(Mg,Fe,Li,Al) _2–3 (Al,Si) ₄ O ₁₀ (OH,F) ₂ that can be split easily into thin, partly transparent sheets. Mica is common in igneous and metamorphic rocks and often occurs as flakes or sheets. It is highly resistant to heat and is used in electric fuses and other electrical equipment. Muscovite and biotite are types of mica

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• micaceous
  adjective
• micalike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• micas
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of mica

First recorded in 1700–10, mica is from the Latin word mīca crumb, morsel, grain

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

mica micas

Inside the grog used in the decorated vessels, researchers found mica, a reflective silicate mineral that is common in the Florida Panhandle but unusual in peninsular Florida.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

On the east side, the dam was build atop an ancient landslide of mica schist, a type of rock vulnerable to fracturing that would allow moisture to seep inside.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026

Lamp-maker Sue Johnson says her small California business has been hit hard by tariffs, which prompted her supplier to roughly double the price of mica, a material she uses in her Art Deco-inspired designs.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

A hard-edged 1928 coffee table may be made of oak, but it’s covered in shimmering mica.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 23, 2025

Some of the rocks were black and some slate, but many were silverish, shimmering with what looked like mica.

From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell

Muscovite micas belong to the felsic silicate minerals.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2017

Phyllite is similar to slate, but has typically been heated to a higher temperature; the micas have grown larger and are visible as a sheen on the surface.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

On the other hand, most clay minerals are only stable up to about 150° or 200°C; above that, they transform into micas.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

At 15 km to 20 km, larger micas form to produce schist, and at 20 km to 25 km amphibole, feldspar, and quartz form to produce gneiss.

From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015

Closely allied to the chlorites is another group of micaceous minerals known as the vermiculites, which have resulted by the alteration of the micas, particularly biotite and phlogopite.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 6, Slice 3 "Chitral" to "Cincinnati" by Various

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