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talc

[talk]
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noun
  1. Also tal·cum [tal-kuh m] /ˈtæl kəm/. a green-to-gray, soft mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, Mg3(Si4O10)(OH)2, unctuous to the touch, and occurring usually in foliated or compact masses, used in making lubricants, talcum powder, electrical insulation, etc.
  2. talcum powder.
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verb (used with object), talcked or talced [talkt] /tælkt/, talck·ing or talc·ing [tal-king] /ˈtæl kɪŋ/.
  1. to treat or rub with talc.
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Origin of talc

1595–1605; < Medieval Latin talcum < Arabic ṭalq mica < Persian talk
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for talc

Historical Examples

  • Talc is also derived from the recrystallization of magnesian carbonates.

    The Economic Aspect of Geology

    C. K. Leith

  • The obvious place to look was the talc shelf or smoke-guard of the lamp.

  • Talc is the most frequently used article of this description.

  • And as for this waxy stuff spread over the talc, it's unique.

    The Lost Continent

    C. J. Cutcliffe Hyne

  • As for the talc mask and the black moustache, that is not much to help us, it is true.

    At the Villa Rose

    A. E. W. Mason

British Dictionary definitions for talc

talc

noun Also: talcum
  1. See talcum powder
  2. a white, grey, brown, or pale green mineral, found in metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of talcum powder and electrical insulators. Composition: hydrated magnesium silicate. Formula: Mg 3 Si 4 O 10 (OH) 2 . Crystal structure: monoclinic
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verb talcs, talcking, talcked, talcs, talcing or talced
  1. (tr) to apply talc to
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Derived Formstalcose or talcous, adjective

Word Origin

C16: from Medieval Latin talcum, from Arabic talq mica, from Persian talk
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

Word Origin and History for talc

n.

1580s, from Middle French talc, probably from Spanish talco and Medieval Latin talcum "talc" (ealy 14c.), both from Arabic talq, from Persian talk "talc." "It was applied by the Arab and medieval writers to various transparent, translucent and shining minerals such as talc proper, mica, selenite, etc." [Flood].

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
talc in Medicine

talc

(tălk)
n.
  1. A fine-grained white, greenish, or gray mineral, having a soft soapy feel and used in talcum and face powder.talcum
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The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
talc in Science

talc

[tălk]
  1. A very soft white, greenish, or gray monoclinic mineral usually occurring as massive micalike flakes in igneous or metamorphic rocks. It has a soapy texture and is used in face powder and talcum powder, for coating paper, and as a filler in paints and plastics. Chemical formula: Mg3Si4O10(OH)2.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.