crystallize

[ kris-tl-ahyz ]

/ ˈkrɪs tlˌaɪz /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR crystallize ON THESAURUS.COM

verb (used with object), crys·tal·lized, crys·tal·liz·ing.

to form into crystals; cause to assume crystalline form.

to give definite or concrete form to: to crystallize an idea.

to coat with sugar.

verb (used without object), crys·tal·lized, crys·tal·liz·ing.

to form crystals; become crystalline in form.

to assume definite or concrete form.

Nearby words

Also especially British, crys·tal·lise.

Origin of crystallize

First recorded in 1590–1600; crystall- + -ize

Related forms

crys·tal·liz·a·bil·i·ty, nouncrys·tal·liz·a·ble, adjectivecrys·tal·liz·er, nounnon·crys·tal·liz·a·ble, adjective

non·crys·tal·lized, adjectivenon·crys·tal·liz·ing, adjectiveun·crys·tal·liz·a·ble, adjectiveun·crys·tal·lized, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for crystallize

For years, I wondered who had signed up for all of the slots, and eventually a character started to crystallize in my imagination.
Real Thrills And High Art In A Poignant Page-Turner Of A Novel|Susan Cheever|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But with anger about cuts starting to crystallize, that might change.
The Left's Stealth Budget Plan|David A. Graham|April 27, 2011|DAILY BEAST
And principles will not crystallize without debate—and certainly not by Monday.
Obama's Phony Bank Debate|Tunku Varadarajan|April 22, 2010|DAILY BEAST
The result of this insurrection was to crystallize tendencies toward harshness which the economic revolution was making advisable.
The Negro|W.E.B. Du Bois

Nor does he seem to crystallize into anything except sunburn.
The Cruise of the Snark|Jack London
To "sugar off" is to boil the sirup until it is thick enough to crystallize into sugar.
Being a Boy|Charles Dudley Warner
It is supposed that they did not crystallize in the lamprophyre dike but in some way were caught up by it.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 16, Slice 2|Various
Argument usually tends to crystallize around two antitheses.
The Rising Tide of Color Against White World-Supremacy|Theodore Lothrop Stoddard

British Dictionary definitions for crystallize

crystallize

crystalize, crystallise or crystalise

/ (ˈkrɪstəˌlaɪz) /

verb

to form or cause to form crystals; assume or cause to assume a crystalline form or structure

to coat or become coated with sugarcrystallized fruit

to give a definite form or expression to (an idea, argument, etc) or (of an idea, argument, etc) to assume a recognizable or definite form

Derived Formscrystallizable, crystalizable, crystallisable or crystalisable, adjectivecrystallizability, crystalizability, crystallisability or crystalisability, nouncrystallization, crystalization, crystallisation or crystalisation, nouncrystallizer, crystalizer, crystalliser or crystaliser, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for crystallize

crystallize

1590s, from crystal + -ize. Figurative use is from 1660s. Related: Crystallized; crystallizing.