crystalline

views updated May 18 2018

crys·tal·line / ˈkristl-in; -tl-ˌīn; -tl-ˌēn/ • adj. having the structure and form of a crystal; composed of crystals: a crystalline rock. ∎ poetic/lit. very clear: he writes a crystalline prose.DERIVATIVES: crys·tal·lin·i·ty / ˌkristlˈinitē/ n.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

crystalline

views updated May 08 2018

crystalline A general term, applied to metamorphic or igneous rocks formed by the process of crystallization from solid or liquid precursors (although certain sedimentary rocks, e.g. some limestones, may also be made up of crystalline grains, cemented by crystalline cement).

A Dictionary of Earth Sciences AILSA ALLABY and MICHAEL ALLABY