Main Entry:

mi·ca

Pronunciation:

\ˈmī-kə\

Function:

noun

Etymology:

New Latin, from Latin, grain, crumb; perhaps akin to Greek mikros small

Date:

1777

: any of various colored or transparent mineral silicates crystallizing in monoclinic forms that readily separate into very thin leaves

— mi·ca·ceous \mī-ˈkā-shəs\ adjective