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Geology & Earth Sciences vocabulary · Rocks & Minerals

Crystal

Meaning in geology & earth sciences, with examples

/ˈkrɪstəl/nounCore term

In geology & earth sciences, crystal means: A solid in which the atoms are arranged in a regular, repeating pattern, which often gives it flat faces and a typical shape.

In Turkish: kristal

How it is used

Used in mineralogy and petrology: crystals grow, form and can be well-formed or broken. In igneous rocks, crystal size shows how fast the magma cooled. Related words: crystalline (adjective) and crystallise or crystallize (verb).

Example sentences

  1. Slow cooling allows large crystals to grow.

  2. The quartz crystals in this vein are up to 5 cm long.

Common collocations

  • crystal size
  • crystal shape
  • well-formed crystals
  • crystal structure
  • grow crystals
  • mineralA naturally occurring, inorganic solid with a definite chemical composition and an ordered internal structure, such as quartz, calcite or feldspar.
  • quartzA hard, common mineral made of silicon dioxide (SiO2), usually clear, white or grey with a glassy lustre. It has a hardness of 7 and no cleavage.
  • igneous rockRock that forms when molten magma or lava cools and becomes solid. Granite forms slowly underground, while basalt forms quickly at the surface.
  • graniteA light-coloured, coarse-grained igneous rock made mainly of quartz, feldspar and mica, formed when magma cools slowly deep in the crust.

More terms: Rocks & Minerals

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