crystal

1 of 2

noun

crys·tal ˈkri-stᵊl

Synonyms of crystal next

: quartz that is transparent or nearly so and that is either colorless or only slightly tinged

: something resembling crystal in transparency and colorlessness

: a body that is formed by the solidification of a chemical element, a compound, or a mixture and has a regularly repeating internal arrangement of its atoms and often external plane faces

: a clear colorless glass of superior quality

also : objects or ware of such glass

: the glass or transparent plastic cover over a watch or clock dial

: a crystalline material used in electronics as a frequency-determining element or for rectification

: crystal meth

broadly : methamphetamine in any form when used illicitly

crystal

2 of 2

adjective

: consisting of or resembling crystal : clear, lucid

: relating to or using a crystal

a crystal radio receiver

Example Sentences

Noun the crystal structure of minerals a necklace made of crystal Some of the crystals used in the necklace are a pale pink color. The wine glasses are made of the finest crystal. She inherited her mother's crystal. Adjective an unspoiled region with majestic mountains and crystal streams See More

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The exception is basements that get below 40 degrees Fahrenheit, since the 50-pint Frigidaire lacks a frost control sensor, a feature found on other dehumidifiers that automatically shuts the unit off whenever ice crystals starts to form on its coils. —

Dan Diclerico, goodhousekeeping.com, 18 May 2023 Magical items include antiques, bones, candles, crystals, incense, jewelry, oils, oracle and tarot decks, pendulums, potions and sage. —

Charles Infosino, The Enquirer, 10 May 2023 Faith Pinho: And Paulina introduced Amber to crystals. —

The Foretold Team, Los Angeles Times, 9 May 2023 Inside the surfaces of the tables sat detector plates filled with gel and silver bromide crystals that would, over time, react with the muons and build up a muographic negative of the above tombs. —

Matt Hrodey, Discover Magazine, 9 May 2023 Her accessories included royal-blue Aquazzura heels, jewelry which previously belonged to Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Diana, and a Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen headpiece with silver bullion, crystal, and a silver threaded three-dimensional leaf embroidery. —

Quinci Legardye, Harper's BAZAAR, 8 May 2023 The Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen topper featured silver bullion, crystal and silver thread work with three-dimensional leaf embroidery — and a mini version was made for Princess Charlotte! —

Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 8 May 2023 Kate added sparkle to Saturday's look with a show-stopping headpiece featuring three-dimensional leaves made of silver bullion, crystal and silver thread by Jess Collett x Alexander McQueen. —

Morgan Hines, USA TODAY, 6 May 2023 Along with a more durable sapphire crystal glass cover, the Galaxy Watch 5 offers a few extra capabilities over the Galaxy Watch 4, including the ability to measure body temp and analyze body composition data. —

Sheena Vasani, The Verge, 25 Apr. 2023

Adjective

But technology moved on, and the silky smooth sound of FM radio and then the crystal digital clarity of streaming stations and podcasts narrowed AM’s hold on the American imagination. —

Marc Fisher, Anchorage Daily News, 14 May 2023 Credit: Leon Neal/Pool/AP Kate and Charlotte's subtler, floral design, bedecked with crystal flowers, gave a nod to King Charles' longstanding commitment to protecting the natural environment. —

CNN, 7 May 2023 The material then switched into a crystal material that continued down the skirt. —

Adrianna Freedman, Good Housekeeping, 21 Apr. 2023 The second product is this crystal figurine collectible, which expertly captures the Hulk’s signature muscles and imposing presence with intricate details cut from 578 facets. —

Anna Tingley, Variety, 11 Apr. 2023 With breezy palm trees, crystal blue water, and year-round sunshine, Hawaii is a dream to live in. —

Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 7 Mar. 2023 In her first post, Lizzo soaks up the sun while lounging on a white sand beach as crystal blue waves splash behind her. —

Chelsey Sanchez, Harper's BAZAAR, 27 Mar. 2023 Make Zamboanga your home base with a room at the Residencia Suites Hotel. Crane Beach, Barbados The Crane Resort, originally built in 1887, overlooks this Barbados beach and its crystal-blue waters. —

Steven Casale, Travel + Leisure, 3 Apr. 2023 The bottles have a crystal cap with emeralds and rubies around it. —

Prarthana Prakash, Fortune, 11 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'crystal.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English cristal "transparent quartz, object made from it," borrowed from Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin crystallum, crystallus, crustallum "clear ice, rock crystal," borrowed from Greek krýstallos, probably borrowed from a pre-Greek substratum; replacing Old English cristalla, cristal, cristallum, borrowed from Latin crystallum

Note: Greek krýstallos was traditionally linked etymologically with krýos "icy cold, frost" and Latin crusta "hard surface layer," though the morphological details were not explicable (and crusta does not refer to ice or cold). More likely, as asserted by Robert Beekes (Etymological Dictionary of Greek [Leiden: Brill, 2010], p. 787), krýstallos, as evidenced by the suffix -allos (from *al^y- according to Beekes) and the variant króstallos, is of pre-Greek origin. Cf. notes at cryo-, crust.

First Known Use

Noun

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of crystal was in the 13th century

See more words from the same century

Cite this Entry

Style

“Crystal.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crystal. Accessed 28 May. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

crystal

1 of 2 noun

crys·tal ˈkris-tᵊl

: a quartz that is transparent or nearly so

: something transparent like crystal

: a solid form of a substance or mixture that has a regularly repeating internal arrangement of its atoms and often external plane faces

a crystal of quartz

a snow crystal

a salt crystal

: a clear colorless glass of very good quality

also : things made of this glass

: the transparent cover over a watch or clock dial

crystal

2 of 2 adjective

: made of or resembling crystal

: using a crystal as a detector

a crystal radio receiver

Medical Definition

crystal

noun

crys·tal ˈkris-tᵊl

: a body that is formed by the solidification of a chemical element, a compound, or a mixture and has a regularly repeating internal arrangement of its atoms and often external plane faces