mica
noun/ˈmaɪ.kə/
Etymology Borrowed from Latin mīca (“grain, crumb”).
1
Chemistry, Geography, Geology, Mineralogy, Natural sciences, Physical sciences 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.
- His little eyes glittered like mica discs with curiosity, though he tried to keep up a bit of superciliousness.1899 February, Joseph Conrad, “The Heart of Darkness”, in Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, volume CLXV, number M, New York, N.Y.: The Leonard Scott Publishing Company, […], →OCLC, part I, page 214:
- Derived terms
- fluoromica, Formica, hydromica, micaceous, micaless, micalike, micanite, mica-schist
- Related terms
- biotite, lepidolite, muscovite, paragonite, phlogopite