silica

noun

sil·​i·​ca ˈsi-li-kə 

: the dioxide of silicon SiO₂ occurring in crystalline, amorphous, and impure forms (as in quartz, opal, and sand respectively)

Examples of silica in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Key Ingredients: Marine collagen (derived from shark), iron, zinc, biotin, vitamin C, niacin, calcium, silica, horsetail extract Type: Tablet Size: 60 tablets How to use: One tablet twice daily (after a meal) for three to six months. —Kiana Murden, Vogue, 20 Sep. 2024

The collapse of the Twin Towers propelled plumes of glass, concrete, metals, asbestos, and silica into Lower Manhattan and parts of Brooklyn, the CDC says. —Lindsey Leake, Fortune Well, 11 Sep. 2024

The method allowed scientists to release a mock asteroid the size of a tenth of a gram and made of silica, into the free space vacuum. —Greg Wehner, Fox News, 24 Sep. 2024

Kazansky and his team transcribed the human genome using ultra-fast lasers that encoded the data into tiny voids in silica as small as 20 nanometers. —Margherita Bassi, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Latin silic-, silex hard stone, flint

First Known Use

circa 1801, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing silica

• silica gel
• vitreous silica

Kids Definition

silica

noun

sil·​i·​ca ˈsil-i-kə 

: a compound that consists of the dioxide of silicon and occurs in various forms (as in quartz, opal, and sand)

Medical Definition

silica

noun

sil·​i·​ca ˈsil-i-kə 

: the dioxide of silicon SiO₂ that is used as an ingredient of simethicone and that occurs naturally in crystalline, amorphous, and impure forms (as in quartz, opal, and sand respectively)

called also silicon dioxide