talc
Americannoun
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Also talcum a green-to-gray, soft mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, Mg 3 (Si 4 O10 )(OH) 2 , unctuous to the touch, and occurring usually in foliated or compact masses, used in making lubricants, talcum powder, electrical insulation, etc.
verb (used with object)
noun
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See talcum powder
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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
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of talc
1595–1605; < Medieval Latin talcum < Arabic ṭalq mica < Persian talk
Vocabulary lists containing talc
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.
She previously said her mother used baby powder on her as a baby, and Margaret continued to use the talc every day as an adult, as well as on her own children.
From BBC • Apr. 29, 2026
Johnson & Johnson has faced thousands of lawsuits linking its talc baby powder to cancer.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
Johnson & Johnson retained responsibility for talc litigation in the two countries after the spinoff, but Kenvue is responsible for talc litigation elsewhere.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 4, 2025
Ms Naidu, Ms Lynch and Mr Watson had been accused of using two colour blasters filled with cornflour, talc and an orange dye to spray the monument in a protest on 19 June 2024.
From BBC • Oct. 31, 2025
It spit out a puff of talc, which she rubbed into her fingertips.
From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
