crystal
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See also: Crystal
English[edit]
Alternative forms[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Middle English crystal, cristal, criȝstall, from Old English cristalla (“crystal”), a borrowing from Latin crystallum (“crystal, ice”) (later reinforced from Anglo-Norman cristall and Middle French cristal, from Latin crystallum), from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος (krústallos, “clear ice”), from κρύος (krúos, “frost”), from the Proto-Indo-European *krus-, *kru- (“hard, hard outer surface, crust”).
Pronunciation[edit]
Noun[edit]
crystal (countable and uncountable, plural crystals)
- (countable) A solid composed of an array of atoms or molecules possessing long-range order and arranged in a pattern which is periodic in three dimensions.
- (countable) A piece of glimmering, shining mineral resembling ice or glass.
- (uncountable) A fine type of glassware, or the material used to make it.
- (uncountable, slang) Crystal meth: methamphetamine hydrochloride.
- 1968, Joan Didion, “Slouching Towards Bethlehem”, in Slouching Towards Bethlehem:
- He tells me he's been shooting crystal, which I already pretty much know because he does not bother to keep his sleeves rolled down over the needle tracks.
- The glass over the dial of a watch case.
Derived terms[edit]
- anticrystal
- blood crystal
- clear as crystal
- compound crystal
- crystal ball
- Crystal City
- crystal clear
- Crystal Falls
- crystalliferous
- crystalline
- crystallite
- crystallization, crystallisation
- crystallize, crystallise
- crystallographer
- crystalloid
- Crystal Palace
- crystal stone
- Iceland crystal
- mountain crystal
- quasicrystal
- rock crystal
Descendants[edit]
- → Japanese: クリスタル (kurisutaru)
Translations[edit]
array of atoms
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mineral
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glassware
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(used attributively)
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- The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables, removing any numbers. Numbers do not necessarily match those in definitions. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked
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Adjective[edit]
crystal (not comparable)
- Very clear.
- 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, OCLC 606515358, [Act I, scene i], page 23, column 1–2:
- Thou art a Traitor, and a Miſcreant;
Too good to be ſo, and too bad to liue,
Since the more faire and chriſtall is the skie,
The vglier ſeeme the cloudes that in it flye:
- "Do I make myself clear?" / "Crystal."
References[edit]
- Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “crystal”, in Online Etymology Dictionary
Categories:
- English terms inherited from Middle English
- English terms derived from Middle English
- English terms inherited from Old English
- English terms derived from Old English
- English terms derived from Latin
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- English 2-syllable words
- English terms with IPA pronunciation
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