silicate

American  

[sil-i-kit, -kayt] / 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

• nonsilicate
  noun
• silication
  noun
• subsilicate
  noun

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Etymology

Origin of silicate

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

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

silicate

Because the four other lava worlds found to have atmospheres are in the ultra-hot regime, it raises questions about whether there's a critical transition temperature when silicate atmospheres start becoming very thick.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

Is there a temperature where these planets form silicate cloud decks that might reflect incoming radiation to space and cool its day side?

From Science Daily ● Oct. 7, 2026

"Since LHS 3844 b lacks such a silicate crust, one may conclude that Earth-like plate tectonics does not apply to this planet, or it is ineffective," says Sebastian Zieba.

From Science Daily ● May 5, 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

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

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