Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A homogenous solid formed by a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules and having fixed distances between constituent parts.
- n. The unit cell of such a pattern.
- n. A mineral, especially a transparent form of quartz, having a crystalline structure, often characterized by external planar faces.
- n. A natural or synthetic crystalline material having piezoelectric or semiconducting properties.
- n. An electronic device, such as an oscillator or detector, using such a material.
- n. A high-quality, clear, colorless glass.
- n. An object, especially a vessel or ornament, made of such glass.
- n. Such objects considered as a group.
- n. A clear glass or plastic protective cover for the face of a watch or clock.
- n. Slang A stimulant drug, usually methamphetamine, in its powdered form.
- adj. Clear or transparent: a crystal lake; the crystal clarity of their reasoning.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. In chem. and mineralogy, a body which, by the operation of molecular attraction, has assumed a definite internal structure with the form of regular solid inclosed by a certain number of plane surfaces arranged according to the laws of symmetry. The internal structure is exhibited in the cleavage, in the behavior of sections in polarized light, etc. The external form is discussed under crystallography (which see). Crystals are obtained in the laboratory either by fusing substances by heat and allowing them gradually to cool, or by dissolving them in a fluid and then abstracting the latter by slow evaporation; also by the direct condensation of a vapor produced by sublimation, as in the case of arsenious oxid, in the same way that snow-crystals are formed directly from water-vapor in the upper atmosphere. The name was first applied to the transparent varieties of quartz, specifically called
rock-crystal . - n. Glass. Glass of a high degree of transparency and freedom from color. It is heavier than ordinary glass, because containing much oxid of lead.
- n. Fine glass used for table-vessels or other table-service, or for ornamental pieces. The term is sometimes used as synonymous with cut glass.
- n. The glass cover of a watch-case.
- n. A substance resembling rock-crystal or glass in its properties, especially in transparency and clearness.
- n. In heraldry, the color white: said of that color when described in blazoning a nobleman's escutcheon, according to the system of blazoning by precious stones; pearl, however, is more commonly used.
- n. A very fine wide white durant, once used for making nuns' veils.
- n. In optics. See refraction.
- Consisting of crystal, or like crystal; clear; transparent; pellucid.
- n. An English trade-name for a fine quality of white sugar.
Wiktionary
- n. countable A solid composed of an array of atoms or molecules possessing long-range order and arranged in a pattern which is periodic in three dimensions.
- n. countable A piece of glimmering, shining mineral resembling ice or glass.
- n. uncountable A fine type of glassware, or the material used to make it.
- n. uncountable, slang crystal meth: methamphetamine hydrochloride.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. (Chem. & Min.) The regular form which a substance tends to assume in solidifying, through the inherent power of cohesive attraction. It is bounded by plane surfaces, symmetrically arranged, and each species of crystal has fixed axial ratios. See crystallization.
- n. The material of quartz, in crystallization transparent or nearly so, and either colorless or slightly tinged with gray, or the like; -- called also
rock crystal . Ornamental vessels are made of it. Cf. Smoky quartz, Pebble; also Brazilian pebble, under Brazilian. - n. A species of glass, more perfect in its composition and manufacture than common glass, and often cut into ornamental forms. See Flint glass.
- n. The glass over the dial of a watch case.
- n. Anything resembling crystal, as clear water, etc.
- adj. Consisting of, or like, crystal; clear; transparent; lucid; pellucid; crystalline.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a protective cover that protects the face of a watch
- n. glassware made of quartz
- n. a rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces
- n. colorless glass made of almost pure silica
- n. a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure
- n. a crystalline element used as a component in various electronic devices
Etymologies
- Old English cristal ("clear ice/mineral"), from Latin crystallum ("crystal, ice"), later reinforced from Anglo-Norman cristall, Middle French cristal, from Latin crystallum, from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος (krustallos, "clear ice"), from κρύος (kruos, "frost"), from the Proto-Indo-European *krus-, *kru- (“hard, hard outer surface, crust”). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English cristal, from Old French, from Latin crystallum, from Greek krustallos, ice, crystal; see kreus- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Q: Am I the only passenger whose primary reference for the term crystal ship is the song about heroin by the Doors?”
“In short the crystal is all about the exterior form, not about the displays or the experience inside the building.”
» Toronto’s new-old is the new beautiful • Spacing Toronto • understanding the urban landscape
“Another commercial has a dumb office worker with a glass snow globe, which he calls his crystal ball.”
“Neither he nor the Titans are sharing those details from what he called his crystal ball.”
“She does this in crystal-clear syntax, where every clause demands our attention.”
“We enjoyed swimming and snorkelling in crystal clear waters and were absolutely delighted to spot a pod of large Orca whales actively breaching just a few yards from our boat.”
Your beach of dreams: nine towns on the Nayarit coast of Mexico
“Not protein crystal growth, material sciences, biological sciences, etc, etc (and no, not Salmonella vaccines either).”
Buzz is at it Again: Let's just change everything - NASA Watch
“We add to those the family chorus, those repeated stories that define us, and then toss in crystal clear memories that later turn out to have been remembered only from photographs.”
A Conversation with Jean Harfenist, author of A Brief History of the Flood
“Stop and have lunch along the river, swim in crystal clear water, and soak up the beauty of the area.”
“One of the great things about the Constitution is it was written in crystal clear language that only a delusional psycho like yourself could fail to interpret accurately. bitblt says:”
Think Progress » Portugal’s parliament approves same-sex marriage.
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘crystal’.
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G[r]eek
A collection of words found in English that are either purely Greek or have Greek etymology.
Please add with caution and certainty. Will be regularly updated by me.etymology, philosophy, laconic, disharmony, patriarchic, archaic, phlogiston, aether, aeon, angel, arachnid, rhythm and 346 more...
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Phonestheme: CR- (or KR-)
Grateful credit to pterodactyl and http://reocities.com/SoHo/Studios/9783/phond1.html.
crook, crack, crane, cremains, cranberries, crimp, crow, crunch, crash, creak, croak, cronk and 94 more...
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IMCO - EU nomenclature
includes words of the "Prodcom list"
abaca, abdominal, abrasive, absorbent, absorber, accelerator, accessory, account book, accumulator, acebutolol, acetaldehyde, acetamide and 4515 more...
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Common English Words That Are Also Fi...
art, bob, bill, grace, hope, john, heather, pat, amber, jack, dale, glen and 170 more...
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common UA vocab. in US
Interesting, there is a traditional vocabulary of an Ukrainian, that differs from vocabulary of average American. It would be nice to explore it.
jackdaw, incongruous, cassock, vivid, magpie, humdrum, amongst, wonder, wandering, wheedling, wheedle, osseous and 368 more...
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Steampunk
Words used quite often in steampunk
ansible, airship, chymical, valve, clockwork, dirigible, thaumaturgy, copper, bronze, difference engine, gear, rivets and 516 more...
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Salt
Words related to salt and saltiness.
adarce, brinish, brinishness, briny, saline, salinity, salsuginose, salsuginous, saltish, saltishly, saltishness, salty and 74 more...
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lasers
words associated with LASERS.
( open list, randomness )
NOTE: i'd like to keep the list specific to the LASER itself (Any LASER), and leave out applied sciences..
sp...electromagnetism, light, wavelength, phase, frequency, polarization, emission, optical, spectroscopy, lase, crystal, projection and 61 more...
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words
my words. my mind. my gosh.
try not to enjoy it too much.git, ghoti, sauce, quail, querulous, quarrelsome, reliability, untoward, incongruities, fission, fanatic, apple and 206 more...
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♥
ambrosia, inamorata, gossamer, lily-white, hummingbird, roucoulement, poppy, daisy, calypso, lunula, lamb, dove and 1526 more...
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Wordlist_WordOperation_Test
Testing WordOperation Test
Computer, beta, charge, power, precious, crystal, nature, world, animal, cat
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Wordlist_WordOperation_Test
Testing WordOperation Test
Computer, beta, charge, power, precious, crystal, nature, world, animal, cat
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Pretty Words
Words that sound pretty.
ethereal, ephemeral, iridescent, shimmer, wisp, whisper, charisma, crescent, azure, mystery, fantasy, miracle and 142 more...
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Wordlist_WordOperation_Test
Testing WordOperation Test
Computer, centimeter, charge, power, precious, crystal, nature, world, animal, cat
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reginaterra's Words
purl, blow, squish, andean, generality, adaptation, lush, pack, filter, acquiesce, abstraction, sweet and 508 more...
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If-Christ-Had-Not-Died-For-Thee-Thou-...
Words that have been used as baby names, including virtue names, nature names, place names, etc.
The title is an actual name given to a Puritan boy in the 17th century.faith, hope, grace, charity, chastity, prudence, patience, temperance, river, phoenix, stone, violet and 455 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for crystal.

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