crystalline

adjective

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crys·tal·line | \ ˈkri-stə-lən

also -ˌlīn, -ˌlēn \

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

Other Words from crystalline Synonyms & Antonyms Example Sentences Phrases Containing crystalline Learn More About crystalline

Examples of crystalline in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web Of course, Edelman added, there were a few downsides to visiting the gorgeous islands surrounded by crystalline waters in the cooler months. — Mia Taylor, Travel + Leisure, 27 Mar. 2022 Her voice doesn’t have the crystalline beauty of such predecessors as Barbara Cook and Shirley Jones, and many of the songs aren’t really suited for her. — Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Feb. 2022 Notice here the trees slumping under heavy snow; the steep, crystalline rocks; the sliding, unfocused perspective. — Washington Post, 13 Apr. 2022 It’s a jarring sight for long-time residents of the Hill Country, a rural oasis of scrubby green hills, crystalline water, and bright white limestone west of Austin and San Antonio. — Henry Gass, The Christian Science Monitor, 25 Mar. 2022 After all, the Japanese poem style lends itself to spare reflections on nature, crystalline musings on blossoms, songbirds or hoar frost. — Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2022 This zany, cartoon-soundbite–like track somehow fits comfortably on A Couple of Good Days next to playful hip-house, crystalline piano thumpers, funky strut, and alluringly low-key disco. — Elias Leight, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 2022 The life-changing event here is that of a woman being dumped by her husband and left to raise her teenage kids without financial support, played in a touching performance of crystalline emotional transparency by Charlotte Gainsbourg. — David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2022 Cancun's beaches offer a quintessential image: soft, sun-bleached white sand that extends into the gently lapping, crystalline sea. — Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 6 Jan. 2022 See More

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.

Learn More About crystalline

Dictionary Entries Near crystalline

crystalligerous

crystalline

crystalline cone

Statistics for crystalline

Last Updated

12 May 2022

Cite this Entry

“Crystalline.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crystalline. Accessed 21 May. 2022.

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More Definitions for crystalline

crystalline

adjective

crys·tal·line | \ ˈkri-stə-lən

Kids Definition of crystalline

1 : made of crystal or composed of crystals

2 : clear entry 1 sense 4

crystalline

adjective

crys·tal·line | \ ˈkris-tə-lən also -ˌlīn, -ˌlēn \

Medical Definition of crystalline

1 : composed of or resembling crystals

2a : formed by crystallization : having regular arrangement of the atoms in a space lattice — see amorphous sense 2

b : having the internal structure though not necessarily the external form of a crystal granite is only crystalline, while quartz crystal is perfectly crystallized