silica
UK[ˈsɪlɪkə]US[ˈsɪlɪkə]
n
A hard, unreactive, colorless compound which occurs as the mineral quartz and as a principal constituent of sandstone and other rocks.
Morpheme Breakdown
silic
a
silic
flint
a
noun suffix
Etymology
The word 'silica' entered English in the early 19th century from modern Latin, which itself adapted it from the Latin 'silex' or 'silicis,' meaning "flint" or "hard stone." This Latin root is thought to be of pre-Latin, possibly Italic, origin. The term's logic is direct and descriptive: it names the primary mineral component of flint and quartz. Thus, the modern scientific term for a fundamental earth compound retains the ancient core concept of stony hardness inherited from its Latin ancestor.
Analysis
Structure: silic (flint) + a (noun suffix)
'silic' is from Latin 'silex' (genitive 'silicis'), meaning "flint, pebble, hard stone." The '-a' is a Latin-derived noun suffix used to form names of substances.
Examples
The white sandy beach was composed primarily of silica.
Silica is a key ingredient in the manufacture of glass.
Workers exposed to crystalline silica dust must take respiratory precautions.