— silication /sil'i kay"sheuhn/ , n.
/sil"i kit, -kayt'/ , n.
1. Mineral. any of the largest group of mineral compounds, as quartz, beryl, garnet, feldspar, mica, and various kinds of clay, consisting of SiO 2 or SiO 4 groupings and one or more metallic ions, with some forms containing hydrogen. Silicates constitute well over 90 percent of the rock-forming minerals of the earth's crust.
2. Chem. any salt derived from the silicic acids or from silica.
[ 1805-15; SILIC(A) + -ATE 2 ]