silica

See also: sílica

English

Etymology

Origin: 1585–95; in Latin silex (“hard stone, flint”). Subsequently, silicon was identified by the chemist Antoine Lavoisier in 1787 as a component element of the silex[1] or silicis. Compare silicate.

Pronunciation

(UK) IPA^(key): /ˈsɪl.ɪ.kə/

Noun

silica (countable and uncountable, plural silicas)

Silicon dioxide.
Any of the silica group of the silicate minerals.
- 1993, Historic American Building Survey, Town of Clayburg: Refractories Company Town, National Park Service, 2:
  Its Blair County property was sited at the foot of ganister-covered Dunnings Mountain to compete with the Mount Union plants making silica bricks for the steel industry.

Synonyms

E551 when used as an anti-caking agent

Derived terms

silica gel
silica glass
silicate
silica wool

siliceous
silici-
silicic
silicide

Related terms

silicon

Translations

silicon dioxide

Catalan: sílice f
Esperanto: siliko (eo)
Finnish: piidioksidi (fi), silika

French: silice (fr) f
Japanese: シリカ (shirika)
Spanish: sílice (es) f
Swedish: kiseldioxid (sv)

silica group of the silicate minerals

Esperanto: siliko (eo)
Finnish: hohkasilikaatti

Italian: silice (it)
Spanish: sílice (es) f

References

“silex” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.

Anagrams

Liasic, salici, sialic

[1] “silex” in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.