Added 8 October 2026
crystal
/ˈkɹɪstəl/ noun
In Latin: crystallum Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about crystal at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- 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.
- A piece of glimmering, shining mineral resembling ice or glass.
- A fine type of glassware, or the material used to make it.
adjective
Origin
From Middle English crystal, cristal, criȝstall, representing a merger of Old English cristalla (from Latin crystallus) and Anglo-Norman cristall, Old French cristal (from Latin crystallum). The Latin is derived from Ancient Greek κρύσταλλος (krústallos, “clear ice”), from κρύος (krúos, “frost”), from Proto-Indo-European *krews- (“hard, hard outer surface, crust”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)