mica

[ mahy-kuh ]

/ ˈmaɪ kə /

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noun

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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Origin of mica

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

OTHER WORDS FROM mica

mi·ca·like, adjective

Words nearby mica

Miass, miaul, miazine, mib, mic, mica, micaceous, Micah, Micawber, Miccosukee, mic drop

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use mica in a sentence

Among them Mica Mosbacher, who is now a regent at the University of Houston.
Anita Perry’s Political Baggage|Jacob Bernstein|October 13, 2011|DAILY BEAST
But Mica also wisely created a provision that allowed airports to opt-out of the TSA and use private screeners instead.
TSA, Don't Touch My Junk!|Robert Poole|November 19, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Gneiss is a similar mixture, but characterised by the predominance of mica, and by its banded structure.
Elements of Agricultural Chemistry|Thomas Anderson
A compound of quartz, mica, and felspar, having the appearance of re-composed granite.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

Close-grained grey and yellowish-grey granite, with brown mica.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Yellowish-grey granite, with brown mica; "from the summit of the hill."
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King
Slaty clay, with particles of mica, like that which frequently occurs immediately beneath beds of coal.
Narrative of a Survey of the Intertropical and Western Coasts of Australia] [Volume 2 of 2]|Phillip Parker King

British Dictionary definitions for mica

mica

/ (ˈmaɪkə) /

noun

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

Derived forms of mica

micaceous (maɪˈkeɪʃəs), adjective

Word Origin for mica

C18: from Latin: grain, morsel

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for mica

mica

[ mī′kə ]

Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals with the general formula (K,Na,Ca)(Mg,Fe,Li,Al)2-3(Al,Si)4O10(OH,F)2that 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