polycrystalline

American  

[pol-ee-kris-tl-in, -ahyn, -een] / ˌpɒl iˈkrɪs tl ɪn, -ˌaɪn, -ˌin /

adjective

1. (of a rock or metal) composed of aggregates of individual crystals.

2. having or consisting of crystals that are variously oriented.

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Etymology

Origin of polycrystalline

First recorded in 1920–25; poly- + crystalline

Example Sentences

It also provides products for the telecommunications industry, optical materials for the semiconductor industry and the scientific community, and polycrystalline silicon products and other technologies.

From Barron's • Apr. 16, 2026

In polycrystalline cathodes, charging and discharging causes the stacked particles to repeatedly expand and contract.

From Science Daily • Dec. 29, 2025

"By extracting and analyzing the nanoscale regions through polycrystalline materials informatics, which combines experiment, theory, and AI, we made this clarification of phenomena in complex polycrystalline materials possible for the first time," Usami continued.

From Science Daily • Dec. 20, 2023

The project’s blueprint includes a smelter to make aluminum for electric vehicles and other factories to produce petrochemicals, batteries for EVs and polycrystalline materials used in solar panels.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 13, 2023

In 2016, the Northwestern team discovered the source of the problem: an ultrathin skin of tin oxide was forming around individual grains of polycrystalline tin selenide before they were pressed into ingots.

From Science Magazine • Aug. 2, 2021