CRYSTALLIZATION

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does crystallization mean? 

• CRYSTALLIZATION (noun)
  The noun CRYSTALLIZATION has 3 senses:

1. the formation of crystals

2. a rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces

3. a mental synthesis that becomes fixed or concrete by a process resembling crystal formation

  Familiarity information: CRYSTALLIZATION used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• CRYSTALLIZATION (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The formation of crystals

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural phenomena

Synonyms:

crystallisation; crystallization; crystallizing

Hypernyms ("crystallization" is a kind of...):

chemical phenomenon (any natural phenomenon involving chemistry (as changes to atoms or molecules))

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crystallization"):

bloom; efflorescence (a powdery deposit on a surface)

Derivation:

crystallize (assume crystalline form; become crystallized)

crystallize (cause to form crystals or assume crystalline form)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A rock formed by the solidification of a substance; has regularly repeating internal structure; external plane faces

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

Synonyms:

crystal; crystallization

Hypernyms ("crystallization" is a kind of...):

rock; stone (a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "crystallization"):

crystallite (any of numerous minute rudimentary crystalline bodies of unknown composition found in glassy igneous rock)

Derivation:

crystallize (assume crystalline form; become crystallized)

crystallize (cause to form crystals or assume crystalline form)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A mental synthesis that becomes fixed or concrete by a process resembling crystal formation

Classified under:

Nouns denoting cognitive processes and contents

Hypernyms ("crystallization" is a kind of...):

construction; mental synthesis (the creation of a construct; the process of combining ideas into a congruous object of thought)

Derivation:

crystallize (cause to take on a definite and clear shape)

 Context examples 

Gallium nitrate localizes preferentially to areas of bone resorption and remodeling and inhibits osteoclast-mediated resorption by enhancing hydroxyapatite crystallization and reduction of bone mineral solubility.

(Gallium nitrate, NCI Thesaurus)

It was an emanation of her spirit, a pure and gracious crystallization of her divine essence.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

Methods of fractionation, isolation, and purification based on the physico-chemical properties of the substance, e.g. crystallization, distillation, solubility (miscibility).

(Chemical Fractionation, NCI Thesaurus)

They also added small antibody fragments to the protein solution to encourage crystallization.

(Serotonin transporter structure revealed, NIH)

The liquid lying above a liquid, solid or semi-solid residue, which is separated by crystallization, precipitation or centrifugation of a plasma sample.

(Plasma Supernatant, NCI Thesaurus)

The liquid, solid or semi-solid lying below a liquid residue, which is separated by crystallization, precipitation or centrifugation of a biological sample.

(Infrantant, NCI Thesaurus)

The liquid, solid or semi-solid lying below a liquid residue, which is separated by crystallization, precipitation or centrifugation of a plasma sample.

(Plasma Infranatant, NCI Thesaurus)

The protein is normally unstable during the purification and crystallization processes.

(Serotonin transporter structure revealed, NIH)