crystalline

adjective crys·tal·line \ ˈkri-stə-lən also -ˌlīn , -ˌlēn \

|Updated on: 5 Jul 2018

Examples: crystalline in a Sentence

Definition of crystalline

1 : resembling crystal: such as

a : strikingly clear or sparkling

crystalline air

a crystalline lake

b : clear-cut

2 : made of crystal : composed of crystals

3 : constituting or relating to a crystal

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crystallinity

play \ˌkri-stə-ˈli-nə-tē\ noun

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Examples of crystalline in a Sentence

we could see fish swimming beneath the crystalline ice of the frozen lake

Recent Examples of crystalline from the Web

Most solar cells, like the standard crystalline silicon cells that dominate the industry, sacrifice transparency to maximize their efficiency, the percentage of the energy in sunlight converted to electricity.

— robert f. service, Science | AAAS, "Skyscrapers could soon generate their own power, thanks to see-through solar cells," 28 June 2018
Michel and Madeleine weep crystalline tears as they're torn apart by lies told to keep other lies from being exposed.

— john defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Storm Within' ('Les Parents Terribles'): Film Review," 23 May 2018
And these aren’t necessarily the band’s best performances of each song on this tour, those crystalline moments where everything goes right.

— lucas phillips, BostonGlobe.com, "On ‘Live,’ Terence Blanchard steps into the firing line," 18 Apr. 2018
Germans turned to China for cheap sources of crystalline silicon solar panels, not least because subsidised land and loans enabled China’s fledgling manufacturers to undercut European and American competitors.

— The Economist, "Can the solar industry survive without subsidies?," 14 June 2018
Sitting under the relentless blue lights and crystalline shimmer in this new world under the sea, the sensation’s gone from disco to aquarium, surrounded by an inchoate tumble of pretty things.

— mike sutter, San Antonio Express-News, "Review: Reborn Rebelle now San Antonio’s finest seafood restaurant," 14 June 2018
The run starts with the 50-million-gallons-per-day, crystalline gush of Rock Springs but soon becomes stained like tea by decomposing organic stuff, leaves and cypress needles.

— kevin spear, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Wekiva and Rock Springs Run cure stress with gorgeous gators and hypnotic rain," 1 June 2018
Generally, according to the Foundation for a Drug-Free World website, methamphetamine drugs are of a crystalline white powder appearance.

— howard cohen, miamiherald, "A woman named Crystal Methvin was charged with drug possession. Guess which kind?," 31 May 2018
These include crystalline silicon and molybdenum disulfide.

— charles q. choi, Scientific American, "Building Sails for Interstellar Probes Will Be Tough, But Not Impossible," 10 May 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of crystalline

Middle English cristallin, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin crystallinus, borrowed from Greek krystállinos, from krýstallos "clear ice, ¹crystal" + -inos ¹-ine

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First Known Use: 15th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

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