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

Grains of rocky silica in the plumes suggested the mixtures were created in and around hot, seafloor vents, structures that on Earth provide a home to hardy microbes. —science.org, 19 Sep. 2024

Reyes Gonzalez is among scores of California countertop cutters who have sued companies like Caesarstone and Cambria after falling ill with silicosis, which is caused by inhaling tiny particles of crystalline silica. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 8 Aug. 2024

Coal ash is a sooty confetti of toxins: arsenic, mercury, silica, radium. —Jared Sullivan, TIME, 30 Oct. 2024

Glass contains silica, as do sand and certain types of clay that would have been present on primordial Earth. —Bymitch Leslie, science.org, 30 Oct. 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