crystal

¹

[ kris-tl ]

noun

1. a clear, transparent mineral or glass resembling ice.
2. the transparent form of crystallized quartz.
3. Chemistry, Mineralogy. a solid body having a characteristic internal structure and enclosed by symmetrically arranged plane surfaces, intersecting at definite and characteristic angles.
4. anything made of or resembling such a substance.
5. a single grain or mass of a crystalline substance.
6. glass of fine quality and a high degree of brilliance.
7. articles, especially glassware for the table and ornamental objects, made of such a glass.
8. the glass or plastic cover over the face of a watch.
9. Radio.
   1. the piece of germanium, silicon, galena, or the like forming the essential part of a crystal detector.
   2. the crystal detector itself.
10. Electronics. a quartz crystal ground in the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped, which vibrates strongly at one frequency when electric voltages of that frequency are placed across opposite sides: used to control the frequency of an oscillator crystal oscillator, as of a radio transmitter.
11. Slang. any stimulant drug in powder form, as methamphetamine or PCP.

adjective

1. composed of crystal.
2. resembling crystal; clear; transparent.
3. Radio. pertaining to or employing a crystal detector.
4. indicating the fifteenth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.

verb (used with object)

, crys·taled, crys·tal·ing or (especially British) crys·talled, crys·tal·ling.

1. to make into crystal; crystallize.
2. to cover or coat with, or as if with, crystal (usually followed by over ).

Crystal

²

[ kris-tl ]

noun

1. a city in SE Minnesota, near Minneapolis.
2. a female given name.

crystal

/ ˈkrɪstəl /

noun

1. a piece of solid substance, such as quartz, with a regular shape in which plane faces intersect at definite angles, due to the regular internal structure of its atoms, ions, or molecules
2. a single grain of a crystalline substance
3. anything resembling a crystal, such as a piece of cut glass
4. 1. a highly transparent and brilliant type of glass, often used in cut-glass tableware, ornaments, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      a crystal chandelier

5. something made of or resembling crystal
6. crystal glass articles collectively
7. electronics
   1. a crystalline element used in certain electronic devices as a detector, oscillator, transducer, etc
   2. ( as modifier )

      crystal pick-up

      crystal detector

8. a transparent cover for the face of a watch, usually of glass or plastic
9. modifier of or relating to a crystal or the regular atomic arrangement of crystals

   crystal structure

   crystal lattice

adjective

1. resembling crystal; transparent

   crystal water

crystal

/ krĭs′təl /

1. A homogenous solid formed by a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules and having smooth external surfaces with characteristic angles between them. Crystals can occur in many sizes and shapes.
2. ◆ The particular arrangement in space of these atoms, molecules, or ions, and the way in which they are joined, is called a crystal lattice. There are seven crystal groups or systems. Each is defined on the basis of the geometrical arrangement of the crystal lattice.
3. 1. A natural or synthetic material, such as quartz or ceramic, that consists of such crystals. When subjected to mechanical stresses, crystalline materials can generate an electric charge or, when subjected to an electric field, they can generate mechanical vibrations in what is known as the piezoelectric effect .
   2. An electrical device, such as an oscillator or a diode used for detecting radio signals, made of such a material.

crystal

1. A material in which the atoms are arranged in a rigid geometrical structure ( see geometry ) marked by symmetry . Crystals often have clearly visible geometrical shapes.

Notes

Most minerals are crystalline structures.

Other Words From

• crystal·like adjective
• un·crystaled adjective
• un·crystalled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crystal¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English cristal(le), Old English cristalla, from Medieval Latin cristallum, Latin crystallum, from Greek krýstallos “clear ice, rock crystal,” derivative of krystaínein “to freeze”; akin to krȳmós “frost, cold” ( crymotherapy ), krýos “cold, frost” ( cryo- )

Word History and Origins

Origin of crystal¹

Old English cristalla, from Latin crystallum, from Greek krustallos ice, crystal, from krustainein to freeze

Example Sentences

This material is soft and deformable, consisting of molecules loosely bound in a crystal structure.

From Quanta Magazine

Juno has also seen evidence that violent storms in deeper cloud layers sometimes toss ice crystals high above where they’re normally found.

From Science News

This more basic environment causes little crystals of calcium carbonate to form.

From Science News For Students

At the bottom, I calculated the mean — the average crystal growth — for each group.

From Science News For Students

That will tell you how many grams of sugar crystals had grown.

From Science News For Students

Some of the video was crystal clear, but in other footage the figures were just fuzzy shadows in black and white.

From The Daily Beast

Sailor Moon Crystal is expected to wrap up its initial storylines by the end of the year.

From The Daily Beast

Sailor Moon Crystal is a more ambitious retelling of multiple Sailor Moon story arcs.

From The Daily Beast

Crystal is a onetime member of the Avengers, and in various storylines is also married to Quicksilver.

From The Daily Beast

Hers is a particular brand of essay: writing at its most crystal clear, subject matter at its most slippery and interesting.

From The Daily Beast

The long axis of the hip-roof crystal is often so shortened that it resembles the envelop crystal of calcium oxalate.

From Project Gutenberg

The soul of music which is embodied in them is imprisoned within wood and crystal, and is no more heard of men.

From Project Gutenberg

Jessie had bought a galena crystal mounted, as that was more satisfactory, the book said.

From Project Gutenberg

You look at a clear perfect rich colour, as it were, through the purest crystal.

From Project Gutenberg

There were silver and gold, as she had said there would be, and crystal which glittered like the gems which the women wore.

From Project Gutenberg