What does "crystal" mean?
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.
Crystal
/ˈkɹɪstəl/ adj, name, noun, slang
adj, name, noun, slang ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: 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.
- Grammar: crystal is listed as adj, name, noun, slang.
- Nearest alternatives: aludra, amphetamine, amphetamine sulfate, aquamarine.
- Useful contrasts: gelatinous, glassy, ambiguous.
- Usage evidence: A crystal chandelier was hanging over the table.
How to use "crystal"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "crystal" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "crystal" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "crystal" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "crystal" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "crystal" is acting as adj, name, noun, slang in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "aludra" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "crystal", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 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
- 2 a protective cover that protects the face of a watch wordnet
- 3 A piece of glimmering, shining mineral resembling ice or glass. countable
- 4 glassware made of quartz wordnet
- 5 A fine type of glassware, or the material used to make it. uncountable
Show 7 more definitions
- 6 a crystalline element used as a component in various electronic devices wordnet
- 7 Crystal meth; methamphetamine hydrochloride. slang, uncountable
"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."
- 8 a rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces wordnet
- 9 A person's eye. countable, figuratively, obsolete, plural-normally, uncountable
"Come, let's away. My loue, giue me thy Lippes: Looke to my Chattels, and my Moueables: [...] Goe, cleare they Chryſtalls. Yokefellowes in Armes, let vs to France"
- 10 colorless glass made of almost pure silica wordnet
- 11 The glass over the dial of a watch case. countable, uncountable
- 12 a solid formed by the solidification of a chemical and having a highly regular atomic structure wordnet
Adjective
- 1 Made of crystal. literally, not-comparable
"Its ceiling was crystal, around on the wall / Thickly studded were rubies and diamonds rare; / But purer than crystal, and brighter than all / Of the jewels adorning her glittering hall, / Was the mermaiden languishing there."
- 2 Very clear; coherent. figuratively, not-comparable
""Do I make myself clear?" / "Crystal.""
Proper Noun
- 1 A female given name from English.
""Crystal's pretty. The name, I mean." Jewel shook her head. "It doesn't look like her. She looks like Beaver Cleaver." […] Crys chuckled. For the first time since she'd planted herself fiercely on Lusa's driveway that morning she sounded clear and transparent, like a child. Like the crystal she was."
- 2 A surname.
"In this exhilarating and often hilarious book, David Crystal examines why we devote so much time and energy to language games, how professionals make a career of them, and how young children instinctively take to them."
- 3 A ghost town in Gunnison County, Colorado.
- 4 A town in Maine.
- 5 A city in Minnesota.
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 A census-designated place in New Mexico.
- 7 A city and town in North Dakota.
- 8 A town in Wisconsin.
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"A crystal chandelier was hanging over the table."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "crystal"?
Common synonyms include: aludra, amphetamine, amphetamine sulfate, aquamarine, avalanche, benzedrine.
How do you use "crystal" in a sentence?
A crystal chandelier was hanging over the table.
How do you pronounce "crystal"?
Pronounced /ˈkɹɪstəl/.
Etymology
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 Proto-Indo-European *krews- (“hard, hard outer surface, crust”).