Meanings
formica1
plural formicas
- countableuncountableA heat-resistant laminate material used to veneer countertops.
Synonyms: arborite
Formica2
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA heat-resistant laminate material used to veneer countertops.
Origin
formica · noun
Genericized trademark from Formica; by surface analysis, for + mica. Compare formic and mire (“ant”, obsolete).
Full word history & related roots →Formica · proper noun
Coined in 1913 as a brand name for the material and the company producing it. Formica was originally intended as a replacement “for mica”, which was then commonly used for electrical insulation. Likely a play on words with either formic or the genus name Formica (wood ants), from Latin formīca (“ant”), these ants being the original source of formic acid, after which formaldehyde, an ingredient in the resin, was also named.
Full word history & related roots →Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
formica. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formica
“formica.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formica. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “formica,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/formica.
Source: formica on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.