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

The bulk of the album finds power in gutsy sound design, a blend of PVC and quartz. —H.d. Angel, Pitchfork, 2 June 2026

Expert knapper David Pleurdeau of the MNHN, a co-author of the recent study, then set to work on the teeth with an assortment of quartz and flint tools (knapping is the ancient art of carefully striking a rock with another rock to shape it into a tool). —ArsTechnica, 2 June 2026

Each apartment includes quartz countertops, waterfall-edge islands and panelized refrigerators built into custom cabinetry. —Jessica Alvarado Gamez, Denver Post, 29 May 2026

Here, miners came for the plentiful quartz. —Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 23 May 2026

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