Silicate
/ˈsɪl.ɪ.keɪt/noun
A salt or ester derived from silicic acid, or a mineral containing silicon and oxygen, often with metals.
Did you know?The name ultimately comes from Latin silex, meaning “flint,” linking modern silicate chemistry to one of humanity’s earliest tool-making materials.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*sek-
“To cut or divide; the reconstructed root associated with flint and cutting tools.”
Classical Latin
Latin
silex; silicis
“Flint or hard stone; silicis is the genitive form from which later scientific terminology developed.”
19th Century
Scientific Latin
silica
“Silicon dioxide, named from Latin silex, “flint.””
19th Century
English
silicate
“A compound related to silica, formed with the chemical suffix -ate.”
Modern English
English
silicate
“A mineral or chemical compound built around silicon and oxygen, especially one forming rocks, glass, ceramics, and clays.”