Sil"i*cate (?), n.[Cf. F. silicate.] (Chem.) A salt of silicic acid.

&fist; 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.

Sil"i*cate (?), n.[Cf. F. silicate.] (Chem.) A salt of silicic acid.

&fist; 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.

• (chemistry) Any compound consisting of silicon and oxygen, one or more metals, and possibly hydrogen.
  
• (chemistry) Any salt of silica or of one of the silicic acids.
  
• Silica SiO_2 Framework structure
  
• Disilicate Si_2O_5 Sheet structure
  
• Metasilicate (Several configurations) Chain and ring structures
  
• Pyrosilicate Si_2O_7 Isolated groups of tetrahedra
  
• Orthosilicate SiO_4 Isolated single tetrahedra
  
• Subsilicate SiO_5 Isolated tetrahedra with extra oxygen