borosilicate

noun

bo·​ro·​sil·​i·​cate ˌbȯr-ō-ˈsi-lə-ˌkāt How to pronounce borosilicate (audio)
-ˈsi-li-kət
1
: a silicate containing boron in the anion and occurring naturally
2

Examples of borosilicate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
This delicate-looking borosilicate setup brews a particularly strong cup of coffee. Tiffany Hopkins, Bon Appétit, 12 July 2023 The company continues to push the boundaries of Murano glass, for example, by manipulating borosilicate (Pyrex) to create contemporary forms while employing historical Venetian glassblowing techniques, such as molatura (grinding), engraving, and gold leaf. Melissa Feldman and Parker Bowie Larson, ELLE Decor, 22 Apr. 2021 These photographs, taken by Christopher Payne at two Corning facilities in upstate New York, tell the story of an alternative to borosilicate, called Valor Glass, and its use in the effort to deliver COVID-19 vaccines. Christopher Payne, The New Yorker, 30 Nov. 2020 Open it up, and two shiny wings—reflectors—concentrate sunlight onto a central vacuum tube made of borosilicate glass. Kevin Dupzyk, Popular Mechanics, 23 June 2017 However, in the early 90s, Corning, the company that invented Pyrex, started using soda lime silicate glass instead of borosilicate (another manufacturer now owns the line). Veronique Greenwood, Discover Magazine, 13 Sep. 2012

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1817, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of borosilicate was in 1817

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Cite this Entry

“Borosilicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/borosilicate. Accessed 7 Sep. 2025.

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