crystalline

adjective

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 Learn More about crystalline

Keep scrolling for more

Examples of crystalline in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web

The administration said that the tariffs are largely directed at China, which over the past decade has built itself into the world’s largest manufacturer of solar products, flooding global markets with low-cost crystalline silicon panels. — Ana Swanson And Brad Plumer, New York Times, "Trump Slaps Steep Tariffs on Foreign Washing Machines and Solar Products," 22 Jan. 2018 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 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.

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More about crystalline

Dictionary Entries near crystalline

Statistics for crystalline

Look-up Popularity

Time Traveler for crystalline

The first known use of crystalline was in the 15th century

See more words from the same century

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for crystalline

crystalline

adjective

English Language Learners Definition of crystalline

: clear and shining like crystal

: made of or similar to crystal or crystals

See the full definition for crystalline in the English Language Learners Dictionary

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