Word
crystalline
Phoneticscrys·talline
US/ˈkɹɪstəˌɫaɪn/
UK/kɹˈɪstɐlˌaɪn/
Definitions
01made of crystals
adj. made of or containing crystals.
adj. composed of or relating to crystals; having a regular, repeating three-dimensional molecular structure.
“The geologist found a crystalline rock that sparkled in the sun.”
“The substance was identified as a crystalline solid, characterized by a highly ordered arrangement of atoms that resulted in sharp diffraction patterns.”
Technical
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02clear and transparent
adj. very clear and easy to see through, like high-quality glass.
adj. resembling crystal in being transparent, clear, or sparkling.
“The mountain stream had crystalline water that was freezing cold.”
“The poet described the crystalline air of the high Alps, where every distant peak appeared with startling clarity against the blue sky.”
Literary
Synonyms
03pure or precise
adj. very pure, or very clear and easy to understand.
adj. possessing a high degree of purity or intellectual clarity.
“The professor gave a crystalline explanation of the difficult theory.”
“The author's crystalline prose allowed the complex philosophical arguments to be accessible even to those unfamiliar with the subject matter.”
Formal
Real-World Examples
“Nereid's near-infrared spectrum is dominated by crystalline water ice and is inconsistent with the spectrum of any observed KBO or irregular satellite," the study authors explain.” “To be as clear as the crystalline waters in which the characters here frolic before their blood turns the ocean the colour of sangria: this is grade A tosh.” Etymology
From Middle English cristallyn, cristallyne, from Old French cristallin and its etymon Latin crystallinus, from Ancient Greek κρυστάλλινος (krustállinos), from κρύσταλλος (krústallos, “crystal”) + -ῐνος (-ĭnos, adjectival suffix). By surface analysis, crystal + -ine.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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englishreference.com/q/crystalline