quartz

[ kwawrts ]

noun

1. one of the commonest minerals, silicon dioxide, SiO 2 , having many varieties that differ in color, luster, etc., and occurring either in masses (as agate, bloodstone, chalcedony, jasper, etc.) or in crystals (as rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, etc.): the chief constituent of sand and sandstone, and an important constituent of many other rocks. It is piezoelectric and used to control the frequencies of radio transmitters.

quartz

/ kwɔːts /

noun

1. a colourless mineral often tinted by impurities, found in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of glass, abrasives, and cement, and also as a gemstone; the violet-purple variety is amethyst, the brown variety is cairngorm, the yellow variety is citrine, and the pink variety is rose quartz. Composition: silicon dioxide. Formula: SiO 2 . Crystal structure: hexagonal
2. short for quartz glass

quartz

/ kwôrts /

1. A hard, transparent trigonal mineral that, after feldspar, is the most common mineral on the surface of the Earth. It occurs as a component of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks as well as in a variety of other forms such as rock crystal, flint, and agate. Some crystalline forms, such as amethyst, are considered gemstones. Chemical formula: SiO 2 .

Other Words From

• quartz·ose [kwawrt, -sohs], quartz·ous [kwawrt, -s, uh, s], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of quartz¹

First recorded in 1750–60, quartz is from the German word Quarz

Word History and Origins

Origin of quartz¹

C18: from German Quarz, of Slavic origin

Example Sentences

One of the ways the company is doing this is by returning to, as Quartz put it, “old-fashioned TV ads to turn things around.”

From Salon

Other attractions includes the Santa Monica Pier’s Ferris wheel, which will be lit up in Seventeen’s official colors — rose, quartz and serenity.

From Los Angeles Times

As Quartz reported Wednesday, users are also complaining about an onerous software-update process, malfunctioning Siri mechanisms, and A.I.-generated responses that are even less accurate than those that spew from hallucinating engines like ChatGPT.

From Slate

Hart improved to 7-1 and has won seven consecutive games since losing its opener to Quartz Hill.

From Los Angeles Times

The extreme weather has also forced the closure of mines in Spruce Pine, a small town that is home to the world’s largest-known source of high-purity quartz.

From BBC