metasilicate
|me-ta-sil-i-cate|
/ˌmɛtəˈsɪlɪkeɪt/
silicate built from SiO3 units
Etymology
'metasilicate' originates from Modern English, formed by combining the Greek prefix 'meta-' and the word 'silicate'; 'meta-' (from Greek) meant 'after' or 'beyond', and 'silicate' derives from Latin 'silica' (from 'silex') meaning 'flint' or 'hard stone'.
'metasilicate' was coined in chemical nomenclature in the 19th century by adding the prefix 'meta-' to 'silicate' (itself from Latin 'silica' and Medieval Latin forms related to 'silicatus'), producing a term denoting silicates with the SiO3 structural unit.
Initially it referred specifically to salts or esters of metasilicic acid (the SiO3-based anion); over time the term has remained specialized and is used broadly for compounds or minerals containing the SiO3 unit.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a salt or ester of metasilicic acid, typically containing the anion SiO3^2−; for example, sodium metasilicate.
Sodium metasilicate is used as a builder and corrosion inhibitor in some detergents and cleaning products.
Synonyms
Noun 2
any compound or mineral that contains the metasilicate group or structural unit (SiO3), often encountered in inorganic chemistry and mineralogy.
Several metasilicate minerals form chain or sheet structures in their crystal lattices.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/31 19:32