crys·tal·line

[kris-tl-in, -ahyn, -een]
adjective
1.
of or like crystal; clear; transparent.
2.
formed by crystallization.
3.
composed of crystals.
4.
pertaining to crystals or their formation.
Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English cristal(l)yn(e) < Latin crystallinus < Greek krystállinos. See crystal, -ine1

Related forms
crys·tal·lin·i·ty [kris-tl-in-i-tee] , noun
mul·ti·crys·tal·line, adjective
non·crys·tal·line, adjective
pre·crys·tal·line, adjective
pseu·do·crys·tal·line, adjective
sub·crys·tal·line, adjective
un·crys·tal·line, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To crystalline
00:10
Crystalline is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
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Collins
World English Dictionary
crystalline (ˈkrɪstəˌlaɪn) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
—adj
1.  having the characteristics or structure of crystals
2.  consisting of or containing crystals
3.  made of or like crystal; transparent; clear
 
crystallinity
 
—n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

crystalline
mid-15c., from Fr. crystallin, from L. crystallinus, from Gk. krystallinos "of crystal," from krystallos (see crystal).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Medical Dictionary

crystalline crys·tal·line (krĭs'tə-lĭn, -līn', -lēn')
adj.

  1. Being, relating to, or composed of crystal or crystals.

  2. Resembling crystal, as in transparency or distinctness of structure or outline.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage
Science Dictionary
crystal   (krĭs'təl)  Pronunciation Key 


(click for larger image in new window)

  1. A homogenous solid formed by a repeating, three-dimensional pattern of atoms, ions, or molecules and having smooth external surfaces with characteristic angles between them. Crystals can occur in many sizes and shapes. ◇ The particular arrangement in space of these atoms, molecules, or ions, and the way in which they are joined, is called a crystal lattice. There are seven crystal groups or systems. Each is defined on the basis of the geometrical arrangement of the crystal lattice.

    1. A natural or synthetic material, such as quartz or ceramic, that consists of such crystals. When subjected to mechanical stresses, crystalline materials can generate an electric charge or, when subjected to an electric field, they can generate mechanical vibrations in what is known as the piezoelectric effect.

    2. An electrical device, such as an oscillator or a diode used for detecting radio signals, made of such a material.


crystalline adjective
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Example sentences
The clear: the crystalline or outermost heaven of the old cosmography.
But his detractors claim he has been less than crystalline on the water
  question.
Inside the camera the focused light strikes the halides, sending an electric
  current flowing through the crystalline structure.
Not many committees in history have come up with such crystalline prose.
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