From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcrystalcrys‧tal /ˈkrɪstl/ ●●○ noun 1 [uncountable]TIG very high quality clear glass a set of six crystal glasses2 [countable]HEG a small regular-shaped piece of a substance, formed naturally when this substance becomes solid ice crystals copper sulphate crystals3 [countable, uncountable]HEG rock that is clear, or a piece of this4 [countable] American EnglishTMC the clear cover on a clock or watch
Examples from the Corpus
crystal• The table was set with the best china and crystal.• She ran herself a deep bath with bath crystals and perfume poured into the water.• Granulites are like their textural equivalents, granular igneous rocks, in being mosaics of interlocking crystals of roughly equal size.• One of the simplest is an ionic crystal like sodium chloride, the first mineral analyzed after the discovery of x-ray diffraction.• It is even possible to dissolve certain types of crystal if the foods used are special diets, carefully chosen by vets.• Argenta silvered crystal bowl; perfume bottle.• The door wasn't locked, and the simularity crystal was still in the desk reader.• copper sulfate crystals• It is a challenge for the future to demonstrate that crystal engineering is providing a new way of thinking chemistry.• The crystal acts as an analyser which ascertains whether or not the photon has polarisation perpendicular to the optical axis of the crystal.Origin crystal (1000-1100) Old French cristal, from Latin crystallum, from Greek krystallos “ice, crystal” 