quartz

noun

ˈkwȯrts 

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

quartzose

ˈkwȯrt-ˌsōs 

adjective

Examples of quartz in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Bulgari Serpenti Bulgari kicked off the year in ladies’ watches with one of the biggest introductions of the year: a new automatic movement that is small enough to fit inside a Serpenti, which was previously quartz. —Carol Besler, Forbes.com, 28 May 2025

This is very compact indeed, having just a sink and quartz countertop. —New Atlas, 23 May 2025

Designated authorities held private ceremonies at fire altars and burned offerings of items such as beads, quartz, seafood or other food. —Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 21 May 2025

The project will add 50% more space for the permanent exhibition and fundamentally rethink how visitors, especially kids, interact with the hall’s thousands of sapphires, quartz, rubies, emeralds, garnets and diamonds. —John Wenzel, Denver Post, 19 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

German Quarz

First Known Use

circa 1631, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing quartz

• fused quartz
• quartz glass
• quartz heater
• quartz-iodine lamp
• smoky quartz

Rhymes for quartz

• courts
• forts
• morts
• portes
• ports
• quarts
• schwarz
• shorts
• snorts
• sorts
• sports
• thwarts

Kids Definition

quartz

noun

ˈkwȯ(ə)rts 

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

Medical Definition

quartz

noun

ˈkwȯ(ə)rts 

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