A boride is a compound between boron and a less electronegative element, for example silicon boride (SiB₃ and SiB₆). The borides are a very large group of compounds that are generally high melting and are covalent more than ionic in nature. Some borides exhibit very useful physical properties. The term boride is also loosely applied to compounds such as B₁₂As₂ (N.B. Arsenic has an electronegativity higher than boron) that is often referred to as icosahedral boride.