silicates

Cultural  

1. The main minerals found in many rocks. Silicates are composed of atoms of silicon, oxygen, and elements such as potassium, sodium, or calcium, under great heat and pressure. Silicates make up about one-quarter of the crust of the Earth.

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Mica and quartz are silicates.

Example Sentences

The dust matched familiar types of stardust, including silicates and alumina.

From Science Daily • Jan. 12, 2026

"We fully expected to see magnesium silicates," said Bristol’s Hannah Wakeford.

From Scientific American • Oct. 20, 2023

They believe it’s brimming with iron, nickel and other metals, and quite possibly silicates, with a dull, predominantly gray surface likely covered with fine metal grains from cosmic impacts.

From Washington Times • Oct. 13, 2023

"We've identified silicates, but a better understanding of which grain sizes and shapes match specific types of clouds is going to take a lot of additional work," Miles said.

From Salon • Mar. 24, 2023

We know that the surface is dominated by silicates, which are relatively light and not heavy enough to account for the planet’s overall density.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson