sima

Everyday

1. (geology, older term) The lower layer of the Earth's crust, under the oceans and below the continents, made of heavy rock rich in silicon and magnesium (si + ma). tree →
2. (a name) Sima is a given name in several countries, for example in Iran, Croatia and Czechia. tree →

In the lessons

In older geography books, pupils meet «sial» (the lighter rock of the continents) and «sima» (the heavier rock below and under the oceans), helping explain why continents «float». Modern books usually say «oceanic crust» instead. As a name it is just a person's name.

Examples

• Sima is the heavier layer of rock under the ocean floor. tree →
• The old textbook showed sial on top of sima. tree →
• Basalt is a rock typical of the sima. tree →
• The word sima comes from silicon and magnesium. tree →
• Sima is a girl in my class. tree →
• Under the continents, the lighter sial rests on the heavier sima. tree →

Note

Rare, technical word; most modern school books use «oceanic crust» and «basalt». Not a common English word in daily life. As a name it starts with a capital letter.