crystal meth

noun

variants: or less commonly crystal methamphetamine

|Updated on: 16 Jun 2018

Definition of crystal meth

: methamphetamine in the form of crystals of its hydrochloride salt C₁₀H₁₅N·HCl when used illicitly for smoking, snorting, or injecting

Crystal meth is so addictive that users often need to make several attempts to break their habit.
—Jeremy Quittner

— called also crank, crystal, ice

See crystal meth defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of crystal meth from the Web

That's when officers discovered a secret compartment stitched into the backpack that contained 1.1 kilograms of crystal meth.

— marwa eltagouri, Washington Post, "A trip to meet her online boyfriend in Shanghai ended in drug charges. And now a death sentence.," 24 May 2018
That amount reportedly equates to 454 kilograms of crystal meth.

— nicole darrah, Fox News, "Truck's fuel tank hid $90M worth of liquid meth; 2 men arrested," 20 May 2018
People here dabble in crystal meth and cocaine and pot but the biggest draw are opioids.

— georgea kovanis, Detroit Free Press, "The tiniest addicts: How U.P. babies became part of opioid epidemic," 2 May 2018
There's now an influx of crystal meth, which is causing people to be extremely violent.

— katie zezima, Anchorage Daily News, "An epic battle over the opioid crisis moves to an Ohio courtroom," 8 Apr. 2018
Agents searched the Olde Eight Road house on the early morning of March 24 and seized 82 pounds of crystal meth, according to authorities.

— eric heisig, cleveland.com, "Feds: Summit County drug traffickers caught before killing man they believed stole 82 pounds of meth," 3 Apr. 2018
Sony released a line of Heisenberg Blue Ice Vodka — a play on the distinctive blue crystal meth Cranston’s character cooks — in 2015, two years after the show’s finale and around the same time Breaking Bud was created.

— benjy egel, sacbee, "Sony sues Knee Deep Brewing Co. over ‘Breaking Bad’-inspired beer | The Sacramento Bee," 18 Apr. 2018
The drugs included 3 kilograms of methamphetamine worth about $110,000, along with marijuana, synthetic marijuana, half a pound of THC oil, several grams of crystal meth and some Xanax, police said.

— jane wester, charlotteobserver, "Guns, armor, $150,000 in drugs found less than a block from Charlotte police station | Charlotte Observer," 18 Apr. 2018
As for the cabinet-level officer, Maddox said the official would look into how to solve problems with other drugs such as crystal meth and cocaine.

— leada gore, AL.com, "Sean Hannity is Trump lawyer's 'mystery' third client, attorney says," 16 Apr. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'crystal meth.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of crystal meth

meth short for methamphetamine

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1969

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

CRYSTAL METH Defined for English Language Learners

crystal meth

noun

Definition of crystal meth for English Language Learners

: an illegal drug in the form of crystals that causes you to feel more energetic and alert when you smoke it

Medical Dictionary

crystal meth

noun

variants: or crystal methamphetamine

medical Definition of crystal meth

: methamphetamine in the form of crystals of its hydrochloride salt C₁₀H₁₅N·HCl when used illicitly for smoking, snorting, or injecting — called also crank, crystal, ice

Learn More about crystal meth

See words that rhyme with crystal meth Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crystal meth

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Definition of crystal meth

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Definition of crystal meth for English Language Learners

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crystal meth

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Definition of crystal meth for English Language Learners

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