vermiculite

V4E1R1M3I1C3U1L1I1T1E1

noun

A hydrated silicate mineral which expands on heating; it is used in insulation and as a medium for planting.

OriginLatin vermiculus →
UncommonScrabble 18
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Meanings

nounvermiculite (countable and uncountable, plural vermiculites)

plural vermiculites

  1. countableuncountablechemistryA hydrated silicate mineral which expands on heating; it is used in insulation and as a medium for planting.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
dudleyite

Origin

  1. Latinvermiculus“wormlet”
  2. Englishvermiculite

From Latin vermiculus (“wormlet”), for its fibrous nature and tendency to expand into worm-like shapes when heated.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 蛭石
  • 蛭石 (zhìshí)mineral
Finnish vermikuliitti
  • vermikuliittimineral
French vermiculite
  • vermiculitemineral
German Vermiculit
  • Vermiculitmineral
Greek βερμικουλίτης
  • βερμικουλίτης (vermikoulítis)mineral
Italian vermiculite
  • vermiculitemineral
Japanese 蛭石
  • 蛭石 (hiruishi)mineral
Spanish vermiculita
  • vermiculitamineral
Cite this entry
APA

vermiculite. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vermiculite

MLA

“vermiculite.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vermiculite. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vermiculite,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vermiculite.

Source: vermiculite on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.