Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
quartz [kwawrts] ExamplesWord Origin noun
- one of the commonest minerals, silicon dioxide, SiO2, having many varieties that differ in color, luster, etc., and occurring either in masses (as agate, bloodstone, chalcedony, jasper, etc.) or in crystals (as rock crystal, amethyst, citrine, etc.): the chief constituent of sand and sandstone, and an important constituent of many other rocks. It is piezoelectric and used to control the frequencies of radio transmitters.
Origin of quartz First recorded in 1750–60, quartz is from the German word Quarz Related formsquartz·ose [kwawrt-sohs] /ˈkwɔrt soʊs/, quartz·ous [kwawrt-suh s] /ˈkwɔrt səs/, adjectiveCan be confusedquarts quartz Examples from the Web for quartz Contemporary Examples of quartz
They measured the amount of different isotopes of xenon trapped in quartz crystals.
The Moon’s Been Lying About Its Age
Matthew R. Francis
June 15, 2014
In 2008, NASA discovered crystals with a similar make-up to quartz surrounding young stars.
Space Bling: From Diamond Planets to Crystal Oceans to Precious Moon Jewels
Alexa Valiente, Jaewon Kang
October 13, 2012
Composite fillings are typically made of glass or quartz mixed with resins and adhesives.
Can Children’s Dental Fillings Spur Depression?
Florence Williams
July 16, 2012
Quartz orange juice and rice with chicken and French fries for lunch and same for dinner.
From Terror Suspect to College Graduate
Amitava Kumar
May 19, 2012
Historical Examples of quartz
Only the first is distinguished by the segregation of the quartz.
Dillon Wallace
The minerals at contact are quartz, biotite, magnetite and hornblende.
Dillon Wallace
Pyroxene, quartz and augite form the groundmass, as seen in section.
Dillon Wallace
The quartz is put in at the head of the battery, and is gradually driven to the foot.
Hittel on Gold Mines and Mining
John S. Hittell
A railroad four miles long, conveys the quartz from the lode to the mills.
Hittel on Gold Mines and Mining
John S. Hittell
British Dictionary definitions for quartz quartz noun
- a colourless mineral often tinted by impurities, found in igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks. It is used in the manufacture of glass, abrasives, and cement, and also as a gemstone; the violet-purple variety is amethyst, the brown variety is cairngorm, the yellow variety is citrine, and the pink variety is rose quartz. Composition: silicon dioxide. Formula: SiO 2 . Crystal structure: hexagonal
- short for quartz glass
Word Origin for quartz C18: from German Quarz, of Slavic origin Word Origin and History for quartz n.
“silicon dioxide,” 1756, from German Quarz, Zwarc “rock crystal,” from Middle High German twarc, probably from a West Slavic source, cf. Czech tvrdy, Polish twardy “quartz,” noun uses of an adjective meaning “hard,” from Old Church Slavonic tvrudu “hard,” from Proto-Slavic *tvrd-, from PIE *(s)twer- “to grasp, hold; hard.”
quartz in Medicine quartz [kwôrts] n.
- A very hard crystalline form of silicon dioxide used in chemical apparatus and in optical and electric instruments.
quartz in Science quartz [kwôrts]
- A hard, transparent trigonal mineral that, after feldspar, is the most common mineral on the surface of the Earth. It occurs as a component of igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks as well as in a variety of other forms such as rock crystal, flint, and agate. Some crystalline forms, such as amethyst, are considered gemstones. Chemical formula: SiO2.