mica
/ˈmaɪ.kə/ noun, proper noun
Forms micas
- noun (mineralogy) Any of a group of hydrous aluminosilicate minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less elastic.
- proper noun A unisex given name from Hebrew, variant of Micah.
Synonyms
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin mīca (“grain, crumb”).
From Hebrew מִיכָה (mīḵāh).
Webster’s 1913
- noun The name of a group of minerals characterized by highly perfect cleavage, so that they readily separate into very thin leaves, more or less elastic. They differ widely in composition, and vary in color from pale brown or yellow to green or black. The transparent forms are used in lanterns, the doors of stoves, etc., being popularly called isinglass. Formerly called also cat-silver, and glimmer.
Etymology [L. mica crumb, grain, particle; cf. F. mica.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “mica”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details