Silex Si"lex noun [ Latin , a finit, a pebblestone.] (Min.) Silica, SiO ₂ as found in nature, constituting quarz, and most sands and sandstones. See Silica , and Silicic .

Silhouette Sil`hou·ette" noun [ F.; -- so called from Etienne de Silhoutte , a French minister of finance in 1759, whise diversion it was to make such portraits on the walls of his apartments.] A representation of the outlines of an object filled in with a black color; a profile portrait in black, such as a shadow appears to be.

Silhouette Sil`hou·ette" transitive verb To represent by a silhouette; to project upon a background, so as to be like a silhouette. [ Recent]

A flock of roasting vultures silhouetted on the sky.

The Century.

Silica Sil"i·ca noun [ New Latin , from Latin silex , silics , a flint.] (Chemistry) Silicon dioxide, SiO.... It constitutes ordinary quartz (also opal and tridymite), and is artifically prepared as a very fine, white, tasteless, inodorous powder.

Silicate Sil"i·cate noun [ Confer French silicate .] (Chemistry) A salt of silicic acid.

» In mineralogical chemistry the silicates include; the unisilicates or orthosilicates , salts of orthosilicic acid; the bisilicates or metasilicates , salts of metasilicic acid; the polysilicates or acid silicates , salts of the polysilicic acids; the basic silicates or subsilicates , in which the equivalent of base is greater than would be required to neutralize the acid; and the hydrous silicates , including the zeolites and many hydrated decomposition products.

Silicated Sil"i·ca`ted adjective (Chemistry) Combined or impregnated with silicon or silica; as, silicated hydrogen; silicated rocks.

Silicated soap , a hard soap containing silicate of soda.

Silicatization Sil`i·ca·ti·za"tion noun Silicification.

Silicea Si·lic"e·a noun plural [ New Latin ] (Zoology) Same as Silicoidea .

Siliceous Si·li"ceous adjective [ Latin siliceus , from silex , silicis , a flint.] Of or pertaining to silica; containing silica, or partaking of its nature. [ Written also silisious .]

Silicic Si·lic"ic adjective [ Latin silex , silicis , a flint: confer French silicique .] (Chemistry) Pertaining to, derived from, or resembling, silica; specifically, designating compounds of silicon; as, silicic acid.

Silicic acid (Chemistry) , an amorphous gelatinous substance, Si(HO) ₄ , very unstable and easily dried to silica, but forming many stable salts; -- called also orthosilicic, or normal silicic, acid .

Silicicalcareous Si·lic`i·cal·ca"re·ous adjective Consisting of silica and calcareous matter.

Silicide Sil"i·cide noun (Chemistry) A binary compound of silicon, or one regarded as binary. [ R.]

Hydrogen silicide (Chemistry) , a colorless, spontaneously inflammable gas, SiH ₄ , produced artifically from silicon, and analogous to methane; -- called also silico-methane , silicon hydride , and formerly siliciureted hydrogen .

Siliciferous Sil`i·cif"er·ous adjective [ Latin silex , silicis , a flint + -ferous .] Producing silica; united with silica.

Silicification Si·lic`i·fi·ca"tion noun [ See Silicify .] (Chemistry) Thae act or process of combining or impregnating with silicon or silica; the state of being so combined or impregnated; as, the silicification of wood.

Silicified Si·lic"i·fied adjective (Chemistry) Combined or impregnated with silicon or silica, especially the latter; as, silicified wood.

Silicify Si·lic"i·fy transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Silicified ; present participle & verbal noun Silicifying .] [ Latin silex , silicis , a flint + -fy : confer French silicifier .] (Chemistry) To convert into, or to impregnate with, silica, or with the compounds of silicon.

The specimens found . . . are completely silicified .

Say.

» The silica may take the form of agate, chalcedony, flint, hornstone, or crystalline quartz.

Silicify Si·lic"i·fy intransitive verb To become converted into silica, or to be impregnated with silica.

Silicioidea Sil`i·ci·oi"de·a noun plural (Zoology) Same as Silicoidea .

Silicious Si·li"cious adjective See Siliceous .

Silicispongiĉ Sil`i·ci·spon"gi·ĉ noun plural [ New Latin See Silex , and Sponge .] (Zoology) Same as Silicoidea .

Silicited Si·lic"it·ed adjective Silicified. [ Obsolete]

Silicium Si·lic"i·um noun See Silicon .

Siliciureted Si·lic"i·u·ret`ed adjective [ Written also siliciuretted .] (Old. Chem.) Combined or impregnated with silicon. [ Obsoles.]

Siliciureted hydrogen . (Chemistry) Hydrogen silicide. [ Obsolete]

Silicle Sil"i·cle noun [ Latin silicula , dim. of siliqua a pod or husk: confer French silicule .] (Botany) A seed vessel resembling a silique, but about as broad as it is long. See Silique .

Silico- Sil"i·co- (Chemistry) A combining form (also used adjectively) denoting the presence of silicon or its compounds ; as, silico benzoic, silico fluoride, etc.

Silicofluoric Sil`i·co·flu·or"ic adjective (Chemistry) Containing, or composed of, silicon and fluorine; especially, denoting the compounds called silicofluorides .

Silicofluoric acid (Chemistry) , a compound of hydrofluoric acid and silicon fluoride, known only in watery solution. It is produced by the action of silicon fluoride on water, and is regarded as an acid, H ₂ SiF ₆ , and the type and origin of the silicofluorides.

Silicofluoride Sil`i·co·flu"or·ide noun (Chemistry) A fluosilicate; a salt of silicofluoric acid.

Silicoidea Sil`i·coi"de·a noun plural [ New Latin See Silex , and -oid .] (Zoology) An extensive order of Porifera, which includes those that have the skeleton composed mainly of siliceous fibers or spicules.

Silicon Sil"i·con noun [ See Silica .] (Chemistry) A nonmetalic element analogous to carbon. It always occurs combined in nature, and is artificially obtained in the free state, usually as a dark brown amorphous powder, or as a dark crystalline substance with a meetallic luster. Its oxide is silica, or common quartz, and in this form, or as silicates, it is, next to oxygen, the most abundant element of the earth's crust. Silicon is characteristically the element of the mineral kingdom, as carbon is of the organic world. Symbol Si. Atomic weight 28. Called also silicium .

Silicotungstic Sil`i·co·tung"stic adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, any one of a series of double acids of silicon and tungsten, known in the free state, and also in their salts (called silicotungstates ).

Silicula Si·lic"u·la noun [ Latin ] (Botany) A silicle.

Silicule Sil"i·cule noun (Botany) A silicle.

Siliculose Si·lic"u·lose` adjective [ New Latin siliculosus , from Latin silicula : confer French siliculeux . See Silicle .] 1. (Botany) Bearing silicles; pertaining to, or resembling, silicles.

2. Full of, or consisting of, husks; husky. [ Obsolete]

Siliginose Si·lig"i·nose` adjective [ Latin siligineus , from siligo , -inis , fine and very white wheat.] Made of fine wheat. [ Obsolete] Bailey.

Siling Sil"ing adjective & noun from Sile to strain. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]

Siling dish , a colander. [ Obsolete or Prov. Eng.]

Siliqua Sil"i·qua noun ; plural Siliquĉ . [ Latin See Silique .] 1. (Botany) Same as Silique .

2. A weight of four grains; a carat; -- a term used by jewelers, and refiners of gold.

Silique Sil"ique noun [ Latin siliqua a pod or husk, a very small weight or measure: confer French silique .] (Botany) An oblong or elongated seed vessel, consisting of two valves with a dissepiment between, and opening by sutures at either margin. The seeds are attached to both edges of the dissepiment, alternately upon each side of it.

Siliquiform Sil"i·qui·form adjective [ Silique + -form : confer French siliquiforme .] (Botany) Having the form of a silique.

Siliquosa Sil`i·quo"sa noun plural [ New Latin See Siliquose .] (Botany) A Linnĉan order of plants including those which bear siliques.

Siliquose, Siliquous Sil"i·quose`, Sil"i·quous adjective [ New Latin siliquosus : confer French siliqueux .] (Botany) Bearing siliques; as, siliquose plants; pertaining to, or resembling, siliques; as, siliquose capsules.

Silk Silk noun [ Middle English silk , selk , Anglo-Saxon seolc , seoloc ; akin to Icelandic silki , SW. & Danish silke ; probably through Slavic from an Oriental source; confer Lithuanian szilkai , Russian shelk' , and also Latin sericum Seric stuff, silk. Confer Sericeous . Serge a woolen stuff.] 1. The fine, soft thread produced by various species of caterpillars in forming the cocoons within which the worm is inclosed during the pupa state, especially that produced by the larvĉ of Bombyx mori .

2. Hence, thread spun, or cloth woven, from the above-named material.

3. That which resembles silk, as the filiform styles of the female flower of maize.

Raw silk , silk as it is wound off from the cocoons, and before it is manufactured. -- Silk cotton , a cottony substance enveloping the seeds of the silk-cotton tree. -- Silk-cotton tree (Botany) , a name for several tropical trees of the genera Bombax and Eriodendron , and belonging to the order Bombaceĉ . The trees grow to an immense size, and have their seeds enveloped in a cottony substance, which is used for stuffing cushions, but can not be spun. -- Silk flower . (Botany) (a) The silk tree . (b) A similar tree ( Calliandra trinervia ) of Peru. -- Silk fowl (Zoology) , a breed of domestic fowls having silky plumage. -- Silk gland (Zoology) , a gland which secretes the material of silk, as in spider or a silkworm; a sericterium. -- Silk gown , the distinctive robe of a barrister who has been appointed king's or queen's counsel; hence, the counsel himself. Such a one has precedence over mere barristers, who wear stuff gowns . [ Eng.] -- Silk grass (Botany) , a kind of grass ( Stipa comata ) of the Western United States, which has very long silky awns. The name is also sometimes given to various species of the genera Aqave and Yucca . -- Silk moth (Zoology) , the adult moth of any silkworm. See Silkworm . -- Silk shag , a coarse, rough-woven silk, like plush, but with a stiffer nap. -- Silk spider (Zoology) , a large spider ( Nephila plumipes ), native of the Southern United States, remarkable for the large quantity of strong silk it produces and for the great disparity in the sizes of the sexes. -- Silk thrower , Silk throwster , one who twists or spins silk, and prepares it for weaving. Brande & C. -- Silk tree (Botany) , an Asiatic leguminous tree ( Albizzia Julibrissin ) with finely bipinnate leaves, and large flat pods; -- so called because of the abundant long silky stamens of its blossoms. Also called silk flower . -- Silk vessel . (Zoology) Same as Silk gland , above. -- Virginia silk (Botany) , a climbing plant ( Periploca Grĉca ) of the Milkweed family, having a silky tuft on the seeds. It is native in Southern Europe.

Silk-stocking Silk"-stock`ing adjective Wearing silk stockings (which among men were formerly worn chiefly by the luxurious or aristocratic); hence, elegantly dressed; aristocratic; luxurious; - - chiefly applied to men, often by way of reproach.

[ They] will find their levees crowded with silk- stocking gentry, but no yeomanry; an army of officers without soldiers.

Jefferson.

Silken Silk"en adjective [ Anglo-Saxon seolcen , seolocen .] 1. Of or pertaining to silk; made of, or resembling, silk; as, silken cloth; a silken veil.

2. Fig.: Soft; delicate; tender; smooth; as, silken language. " Silken terms precise." Shak.

3. Dressed in silk. "A . . . silken wanton." Shak.

Silken Silk"en transitive verb To render silken or silklike. Dyer.

Silkiness Silk"i·ness noun 1. The quality or state of being silky or silken; softness and smoothness.

2. Fig.: Effeminacy; weakness. [ R.] B. Jonson.

Silkman Silk"man noun ; plural Silkmen A dealer in silks; a silk mercer. Shak.

Silkness Silk"ness noun Silkiness. [ Obsolete] B. Jonson.

Silkweed Silk"weed` noun (Botany) Any plant of the genera Asclepias and Acerates whose seed vessels contain a long, silky down; milkweed.

Silkworm Silk"worm` noun [ Anglo-Saxon seolcwyrm .] (Zoology) The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa.

» The common species ( Bombyx mori ) feeds on the leaves of the white mulberry tree. It is native of China, but has long been introduced into other countries of Asia and Europe, and is reared on a large scale. In America it is reared only to small extent. The Ailanthus silkworm ( Philosamia cynthia ) is a much larger species, of considerable importance, which has been introduced into Europe and America from China. The most useful American species is the Polyphemus. See Polyphemus .

Pernyi silkworm , the larva of the Pernyi moth. See Pernyi moth . -- Silkworm gut , a substance prepared from the contents of the silk glands of silkworms and used in making lines for angling. See Gut . - - Silkworm rot , a disease of silkworms; muscardine.

Silky Silk"y adjective [ Compar. Silkier ; superl. Silkiest .] 1. Of or pertaining to silk; made of, or resembling, silk; silken; silklike; as, a silky luster.

2. Hence, soft and smooth; as, silky wine.

3. Covered with soft hairs pressed close to the surface, as a leaf; sericeous.

Silky oak (Botany) , a lofty Australian tree ( Grevillea robusta ) with silky tomentose lobed or incised leaves. It furnishes a valuable timber.

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