phyllosilicate
noun
phyl·lo·silicate
¦filō+
: a mineral of a class of polymeric silicates in which the silicon-oxygen tetrahedral groups are linked by sharing three of every four oxygen atoms so as to form sheets of indefinite extent, in which the ratio of silicon to oxygen is 2:5, and in which some silicon atoms may be replaced by aluminum (as in mica, chlorite, kaolinite)
called also sheet-silicate
compare cyclosilicate, inosilicate, nesosilicate, sorosilicate, tectosilicateDictionary Entries Near phyllosilicate
Cite this Entry
“Phyllosilicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phyllosilicate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share