vermiculite

noun

ver·​mic·​u·​lite (ˌ)vər-ˈmi-kyə-ˌlīt 

: any of various micaceous minerals that are hydrous silicates resulting usually from expansion of the granules of mica at high temperatures to give a lightweight highly water-absorbent material

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web

Layer tubers in vermiculite. —oregonlive, 5 Apr. 2021

Rather than do the painstaking finish work on a drywall ceiling — the joint tape, the multiple coats of mud skimmed to perfection — home builders would spray on a thick milkshake of gloop, then coat it in tiny balls of vermiculite or Styrofoam. —John Kelly, Washington Post, 19 Feb. 2023

Traditionally, perlite and vermiculite have filled this role are added to these mixes. —Jeff Lowenfels | Alaska Gardening And Growing, Anchorage Daily News, 9 Feb. 2023

For several years, Wilson Sporting Goods lined its high-end Double Core tennis balls with a composite made from butyl rubber and vermiculite and developed by nanotech company InMat. —Discover Magazine, 29 June 2010

Plants that bloom from midsummer into the fall need a period of cold storage in a plastic container or bag with moistened vermiculite or sand. —Washington Post, 26 Aug. 2020

Exactly how wet the vermiculite or wood chips should be is dependent on the humidity in your storage area. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2022

Cover the clumps with a 4- to 6-inch-layer of moist vermiculite or fine wood chips, such as commercially sold pet bedding. —Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Aug. 2022

Some vermiculite can contain a natural type of asbestos, although the EPA says the risk is minimal. —Brittany Vanderbill, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2022

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Word History

Etymology

Latin vermiculus "insect larva, grub" (from vermis "worm" + -culus, diminutive suffix) + -ite entry 1 — more at worm entry 1; so called from the worm-like forms taken by such minerals when heated by a blowpipe

First Known Use

1824, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

vermiculite

noun

ver·​mic·​u·​lite (ˌ)vər-ˈmik-yə-ˌlīt 

: any of various minerals that result usually from the expansion of small grains of mica at high temperatures to give a lightweight highly water-absorbent material