quartz

[ kwawrts ]

noun
  1. one of the commonest minerals, silicon dioxide, SiO2, having many varieties that differ in color, luster, etc., and occurring either in masses (as agate, bloodstone, chalcedony, jasper, etc.) or in crystals (as rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, etc.): the chief constituent of sand and sandstone, and an important constituent of many other rocks. It is piezoelectric and used to control the frequencies of radio transmitters.

Origin of quartz

1
First recorded in 1750–60, quartz is from the German word Quarz

Other words from quartz

  • quartz·ose [kwawrt-sohs], /ˈkwɔrt soʊs/, quartz·ous [kwawrt-suhs], /ˈkwɔrt səs/, adjective

Words that may be confused with quartz

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How to use quartz in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for quartz

quartz

/ (kwɔːts) /


noun
  1. a colourless mineral often tinted by impurities, found in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of glass, abrasives, and cement, and also as a gemstone; the violet-purple variety is amethyst, the brown variety is cairngorm, the yellow variety is citrine, and the pink variety is rose quartz. Composition: silicon dioxide. Formula: SiO 2 . Crystal structure: hexagonal

  2. short for quartz glass

Origin of quartz

1
C18: from German Quarz, of Slavic origin

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for quartz

quartz

[ kwôrts ]


  1. A hard, transparent trigonal mineral that, after feldspar, is the most common mineral on the surface of the Earth. It occurs as a component of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks as well as in a variety of other forms such as rock crystal, flint, and agate. Some crystalline forms, such as amethyst, are considered gemstones. Chemical formula: SiO2.

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