vermiculiten.
/vəːˈmɪkjᵿlʌɪt/, /vəˈmɪkjᵿlʌɪt/, U.S. /vərˈmɪkjəˌlaɪt/ 1. Mineralogy.
a. ‘Hydrous silicate of aluminium, iron, and magnesium, occurring in small foliated scales’ (Chester).
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the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > silicates > phyllosilicate > [noun] > vermiculite(s)
vermiculite1824
vermiculite1875
1824 T. H. Webb in Amer. Jrnl. Sci. 7 55 If subjected to the flame of a blowpipe,..it expands and shoots out into a variety of fanciful forms, resembling most generally small worms... If this proves to be a new variety..I term it Vermiculite (worm breeder).
1862 J. D. Dana Man. Mineral. 149 Vermiculite..looks and feels like steatite; but when heated before the blowpipe, worm-like projections shoot out, owing to a separation of the thin leaves composing the grains.
1888 F. Rutley Rock-forming Minerals 199 Vermiculite and Jeffreysite are considered to be altered varieties of phlogopite.
b. plural. (See quot. 1875.)
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the world > the earth > minerals > types of mineral > silicates > phyllosilicate > [noun] > vermiculite(s)
vermiculite1824
vermiculite1875
1875 R. Hunt & F. W. Rudler Ure's Dict. Arts (ed. 7) III. 1074 Vermiculites, a group of minerals resembling the chlorites, remarkable for their exfoliation before the blowpipe.
c. Flakes of this mineral used as a moisture-holding medium for plant growth or as a protective covering for the storage of bulbs or tubers.
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the world > food and drink > farming > gardening > equipment and buildings > [noun] > artificial soil or compost
potting soil1861
potting compost1891
osmunda1910
osmundine1932
John Innes1939
vermiculite1950
perlite1956
Inceptisol1960
1950 Los Angeles Times Home Mag. 12 Feb. 38/3 Vermiculite is one of the finest storage materials for bulbs, tubers and corms as it insulates them from sudden temperature changes.
1981 Farmstead Mag. Winter 71/1 All that is necessary for this March project is a few water~proof trays, fiber or wooden slats, vermiculite for seed germination, and soilless mix such as ‘Promix’ for filling the flats.
1983 Which? Sept. 398/3 Wash off as much soil as possible, then stand the tubers, stem-down, in a dry, frost-free place..before..storing in boxes of dry peat or vermiculite.
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2. Geology. ‘A short worm-track seen on the surface of many flagstones’ (1884 Imperial Dict.).
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1917; most recently modified version published online December 2021).
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n.1824