crystal
a clear, transparent mineral or glass resembling ice.
the transparent form of crystallized quartz.
Chemistry, Mineralogy. a solid body having a characteristic internal structure and enclosed by symmetrically arranged plane surfaces, intersecting at definite and characteristic angles.
anything made of or resembling such a substance.
a single grain or mass of a crystalline substance.
glass of fine quality and a high degree of brilliance.
articles, especially glassware for the table and ornamental objects, made of such a glass.
the glass or plastic cover over the face of a watch.
Radio.
the piece of germanium, silicon, galena, or the like forming the essential part of a crystal detector.
the crystal detector itself.
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.
Slang. any stimulant drug in powder form, as methamphetamine or PCP.
composed of crystal.
resembling crystal; clear; transparent.
Radio. pertaining to or employing a crystal detector.
indicating the fifteenth event of a series, as a wedding anniversary.
to make into crystal; crystallize.
to cover or coat with, or as if with, crystal (usually followed by over).
Origin of crystal
1Other words from crystal
- crys·tal·like, adjective
- un·crys·taled, adjective
- un·crys·talled, adjective
Words Nearby crystal
Other definitions for Crystal (2 of 2)
a city in SE Minnesota, near Minneapolis.
a female given name.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use crystal in a sentence
This material is soft and deformable, consisting of molecules loosely bound in a crystal structure.
Juno has also seen evidence that violent storms in deeper cloud layers sometimes toss ice crystals high above where they’re normally found.
‘Exotic’ lightning crackles across Jupiter’s cloud tops | Lisa Grossman | August 5, 2020 | Science NewsThis more basic environment causes little crystals of calcium carbonate to form.
This ‘living’ concrete slurps up a greenhouse gas | Carolyn Wilke | May 6, 2020 | Science News For StudentsAt the bottom, I calculated the mean — the average crystal growth — for each group.
Rock Candy Science 2: No such thing as too much sugar | Bethany Brookshire | April 30, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThat will tell you how many grams of sugar crystals had grown.
Rock Candy Science 2: No such thing as too much sugar | Bethany Brookshire | April 30, 2020 | 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.
Sailor Moon crystal is expected to wrap up its initial storylines by the end of the year.
‘Sailor Moon’ Is an Oasis for Superheroes Who Can Save the Universe in Heels | Rich Goldstein | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTSailor Moon crystal is a more ambitious retelling of multiple Sailor Moon story arcs.
‘Sailor Moon’ Is an Oasis for Superheroes Who Can Save the Universe in Heels | Rich Goldstein | November 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTcrystal is a onetime member of the Avengers, and in various storylines is also married to Quicksilver.
Inside Marvel’s Phase 3: How ‘The Avengers’ Cross Paths with Black Panther and the New Superheroes | Marlow Stern | October 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHers is a particular brand of essay: writing at its most crystal clear, subject matter at its most slippery and interesting.
From Didion to Dunham, Female Essayists Seize the Day | Lucy Scholes | October 17, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe long axis of the hip-roof crystal is often so shortened that it resembles the envelop crystal of calcium oxalate.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddThe soul of music which is embodied in them is imprisoned within wood and crystal, and is no more heard of men.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph PearceJessie had bought a galena crystal mounted, as that was more satisfactory, the book said.
The Campfire Girls of Roselawn | Margaret PenroseYou look at a clear perfect rich colour, as it were, through the purest crystal.
Violins and Violin Makers | Joseph PearceThere were silver and gold, as she had said there would be, and crystal which glittered like the gems which the women wore.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin
British Dictionary definitions for crystal
/ (ˈkrɪstəl) /
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
a single grain of a crystalline substance
anything resembling a crystal, such as a piece of cut glass
a highly transparent and brilliant type of glass, often used in cut-glass tableware, ornaments, etc
(as modifier): a crystal chandelier
something made of or resembling crystal
crystal glass articles collectively
electronics
a crystalline element used in certain electronic devices as a detector, oscillator, transducer, etc
(as modifier): crystal pick-up; crystal detector
a transparent cover for the face of a watch, usually of glass or plastic
(modifier) of or relating to a crystal or the regular atomic arrangement of crystals: crystal structure; crystal lattice
resembling crystal; transparent: crystal water
Origin of crystal
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Scientific definitions for crystal
[ krĭs′təl ]
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.♦ 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.
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.
An electrical device, such as an oscillator or a diode used for detecting radio signals, made of such a material.
Other words from crystal
- crystalline adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Cultural definitions for crystal
Notes for crystal
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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