talc
part of speech
noun (talc, uncountable)
meaning for a pupil
1) Talc is a very soft, white or grey mineral that feels soapy or greasy. tree →
2) Talc (talcum powder) is a fine powder made from it, used on skin to keep it dry or to stop rubbing. tree →
sense in the lessons
In science lessons talc is the softest mineral, number 1 on the Mohs scale of hardness (diamond is 10); you can scratch it with a fingernail. In everyday life it is in baby powder and used by gymnasts and climbers for grip. Phrases: talcum powder, as soft as talc.
examples
- Talc is so soft you can scratch it with your fingernail. tree →
- On the Mohs scale, talc is 1 and diamond is 10. tree →
- Mum put talc on the baby after the bath. tree →
- The gymnast clapped talc onto her hands. tree →
- Talcum powder smells of flowers. tree →
- We tested which rocks were harder than talc. tree →
- Talc feels smooth and soapy. tree →
note
Uncountable: «some talc». Talcum powder is often just called talc. Some people now use cornflour-based powder instead, because talc dust should not be breathed in. Do not confuse with chalk.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «talc» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.