Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To cause to form crystals or assume a crystalline structure.
  • intransitive verb To give a definite, precise, and usually permanent form to.
  • intransitive verb To coat with crystals, as of sugar.
  • intransitive verb To assume a crystalline form.
  • intransitive verb To take on a definite, precise, and usually permanent form.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To cause to assume a crystalline structure or shape; form into crystals: often used figuratively.
  • To change to the state of crystal.
  • To be converted into a crystal; unite, as the separate particles of a substance, and form a regular solid.
  • Figuratively— To assume a definite form and fixity, as an opinion, view, or idea, at first indeterminate or vague; take substantial and definite shape: as, public opinion on this subject is beginning to crystallize.
  • To assume (as a number of opinions, views, or ideas, at first unsettled or diverse) a definite form, and become concentrated upon or collected round a given subject.
  • Also spelled crystallise.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To cause to form crystals, or to assume the crystalline form.
  • intransitive verb To be converted into a crystal; to take on a crystalline form, through the action of crystallogenic or cohesive attraction; to precipitate from a solution in the form of crystals.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb transitive, chemistry, physics to make something form into crystals
  • verb intransitive to assume a crystalline form
  • verb transitive to give something a definite or precise form
  • verb intransitive to take a definite form
  • verb transitive to coat something with crystals, especially with sugar

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb cause to form crystals or assume crystalline form
  • verb assume crystalline form; become crystallized
  • verb cause to take on a definite and clear shape
  • verb make free from confusion or ambiguity; make clear

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

crystal +‎ -ize

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