crystalline

adjective

crys·​tal·​line ˈkri-stə-lən 

 also  -ˌlīn,

-ˌlēn

1

: resembling crystal: such as

a

: strikingly clear or sparkling

crystalline air

a crystalline lake

b

: clear-cut

2

: made of crystal : composed of crystals

3

: constituting or relating to a crystal

crystallinity

ˌkri-stə-ˈli-nə-tē 

noun

Synonyms

• clear
• crystal
• crystal clear
• limpid
• liquid
• lucent
• pellucid
• see-through
• transparent

Examples of crystalline in a Sentence

we could see fish swimming beneath the crystalline ice of the frozen lake

Recent Examples on the Web

Instead, the best winemakers in the area shoot for precision, for crystalline definition, and for an amplification of harmony rather than an exaggeration of individual elements. —Paul Caputo, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2024

Sage Stephens/Palau Visitors Authority Fewer than a dozen liveaboard vessels are permitted to cruise paradisiacal Palau, a string of green jewels set in the crystalline waters of the western Pacific. —Chloe Sachdev, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Nov. 2024

The restaurant, which is also an inn, is situated in Luce, a charming village perched along the crystalline Savinja River. —Ellen Ruppel Shell, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 Nov. 2024

The new alternatives boast reduced levels of crystalline silica, a mineral that can cause an incurable disease called silicosis if workers inhale tiny particles of dust from cutting and grinding stone. —Emily Alpert Reyes, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cristallin, borrowed from Anglo-French & Latin; Anglo-French, borrowed from Latin crystallinus, borrowed from Greek krystállinos, from krýstallos "clear ice, crystal entry 1" + -inos -ine entry 1

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing crystalline

• crystalline lens

Kids Definition

crystalline

adjective

crys·​tal·​line ˈkris-tə-lən 

1

: clear or sparkling like crystal

crystalline drops of honey

2

: made of crystal or crystals

3

: of or relating to a crystal

Medical Definition

crystalline

adjective

crys·​tal·​line

ˈkris-tə-lən also -ˌlīn, -ˌlēn

1

: composed of or resembling crystals

2

a

: formed by crystallization : having regular arrangement of the atoms in a space lattice see amorphous sense 2

b

: having the internal structure though not necessarily the external form of a crystal

granite is only crystalline, while quartz crystal is perfectly crystallized

crystallinity

ˌkris-tə-ˈlin-ət-ē 

noun

plural crystallinities