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mica

American

[mahy-kuh] / ˈmaɪ kə /

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.

mica British

/ maɪˈkeɪʃəs, 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

"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

mica Scientific

/ 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) 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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of mica

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

Vocabulary lists containing mica

Earth Science - Middle School

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Earth Science - High School

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Rocks and Minerals - Middle School and High School

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

Black Barn Apiary’s Luxe Gold Honey is infused with edible gold mica and made on 20 acres of restored native prairie land in Wisconsin.

From Salon • Apr. 18, 2025

In November 2021, the Irish government introduced what it said was a significant number of improvements to a previous scheme for mica homeowners.

From BBC • Nov. 27, 2024

The presence of materials such as obsidian, mica, seashells and shark teeth made clear to archaeologists that ceremonies held at the sites some 2,000 to 1,600 years ago attracted Indigenous peoples from across the continent.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 14, 2023

When he took his Bible in hand and stood up in front of God and all Malaga Island to preach, he’d be straight up, his eyes opened wide and glinting like mica.

From "Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy" by Gary D. Schmidt

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023