quartz

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noun \ ˈkwȯrts \

Definition of quartz

1 :a mineral consisting of silicon dioxide occurring in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals or in crystalline masses

2 :a quartz crystal that when placed in an electric field oscillates at a constant frequency and is used to control devices which require precise regulation

a quartz watch

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quartzose

play \ˈkwȯrt-ˌsōs\ adjective

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Recent Examples of quartz from the Web

Made of heart-activating rose quartz — associated with positive energy and love — this yoni egg is associated with the heart chakra.

— gabriella paiella, The Cut, "The 23 Most Ridiculous Moments in Goop History, Ranked," 24 Aug. 2017
The crystal means so much to Miranda that her beauty line, Kora Organics, filters its products though rose quartz as part of the production process.

— neha prakash, Teen Vogue, "Miranda Kerr on the Health Benefits of Crystals," 22 Aug. 2017
Perhaps for them the potential greatness of Muenchberg was evident in its complexity: diverse exposures angled in all directions and wide-ranging soils including red sandstone with lots of iron and quartz, volcanic sediment and limestone.

— eric asimov, New York Times, "Alsatian Wines Strike a Balance of Dry and Sweet," 17 Aug. 2017
Recently, the cavers came across a new room covered in quartz and giant sheets of microbes, the samples of which were sent to Arizona State University and the University of Arizona for identification.

— jennifer nalewicki, Smithsonian, "Dine 21 Stories Underground in This 345-Million-Year-Old Cavern," 15 Aug. 2017
A post shared by Andi Bartz (@andibartz) on Jun 28, 2017 at 4:22am PDT My eyes light up at sparkly chunks of raw crystals, and patiently the owners tell me about the purported healing energies of tiger's eye, rose quartz, and agate.

— andrea bartz, Redbook, "Why I Stopped Waiting for a Partner & Started Traveling the World," 10 Aug. 2017
More recently, she's branched out even further with buzzy shades like cayenne spice, smoky quartz, and rose gold.

— erin reimel, Glamour, "Emma Roberts Just Got L.A.'s Most Popular Summer Haircut," 5 Aug. 2017
Jacobs dated quartz grains from various layers with OSL, determining when light last struck each grain and thus when it was buried.

— ann gibbons, Science | AAAS, "A find in Australia hints at very early human exit from Africa," 19 July 2017
Our son delighted in sifting through mining rough in the water sluice to discover fool's gold, rose quartz, malachite and lapis lazuli.

— kristen jordan shamus, Detroit Free Press, "Have kids, will travel. Why you should take your children with you on vacation," 16 July 2017

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

Origin and Etymology of quartz

German Quarz

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First Known Use: circa 1631

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QUARTZ Defined for English Language Learners

quartz

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noun

Definition of quartz for English Language Learners

: a mineral that is often found in the form of a hard crystal and that is used especially to make clocks and watches

QUARTZ Defined for Kids

quartz

play

noun \ ˈkwȯrts \

Definition of quartz for Students

:a common mineral often found in the form of colorless transparent crystals but sometimes (as in amethysts, agates, and jaspers) brightly colored

Medical Dictionary

quartz

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noun \ ˈkwȯ(ə)rts \

medical Definition of quartz

:a mineral SiO₂ consisting of a silica that occurs in colorless and transparent or colored hexagonal crystals and also in crystalline masses

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Spanish Central: Translation of quartz Nglish: Translation of quartz for Spanish speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quartz

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quartz

Definition of quartz

quartzose

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Origin and Etymology of quartz

QUARTZ Defined for English Language Learners

quartz

Definition of quartz for English Language Learners

QUARTZ Defined for Kids

quartz

Definition of quartz for Students

Medical Dictionary

quartz

medical Definition of quartz

Learn More about quartz

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quartz

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quartzose

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