icate

Icate is not a standalone word in common usage; rather, it is a common ending that appears in many English terms, especially in scientific vocabulary. The sequence -icate arises from Latin-derived word formation and functions as a productive ending for a subset of English verbs and nouns.

In English, the suffix -icate is used to form verbs that convey the idea of causing, making, or involving the root concept, often through Latin origins. Common examples include indicate, implicate, abdicate, dedicate, replicate, and predicate. These words illustrate how -icate can appear in various semantic fields, from pointing out information to involving someone in a matter or performing an action related to the root.

In chemistry and mineralogy, -icate is prominent in the names of substances and mineral groups. The word silicate, for example, designates a large class of compounds and minerals built from silicon-oxygen tetrahedra, which form the basis of the Earth’s crust. Subgroups and related terms such as phyllosilicate, tectosilicate, and disilicate also use the -icate ending. While the more general suffix -ate is common across many chemical names, the -icate ending occurs in a number of well-established terms within inorganic chemistry and geology.

Overall, icates are best understood as a productive English word ending with scientific and etymological roots, rather than as a standalone lexical item. See also the related suffixes -ate and -ite for further chemical naming conventions.