quartz
quartz — noun
1. a common mineral found in the earth's crust that forms clear or coloured crystal
a common mineral found in the earth's crust that forms clear or coloured crystals; it is used in electronics and watches because its crystals vibrate at a fixed speed when electricity passes through them
The old watch on Abigail's wrist had a tiny quartz crystal inside that kept the time perfectly.
quartz crystal in watches
Miners discovered a large piece of clear quartz in the cave near Soraya's village.
Putri polished the rough quartz stone until its surface shone like smooth glass.
Many smartphones use quartz crystals to control the timing of their signals.
The clear quartz window in the laboratory let scientists see the experiment without opening the door.
- crystal
much broader term — any solid with a regular atomic structure, not specific to quartz
- silica
refers to the chemical compound SiO₂ rather than the mineral form; quartz is one type of silica
- rock crystal
narrower — specifically clear, colourless quartz, often used in jewellery
用法筆記
Quartz is typically uncountable when referring to the mineral in general ('a vein of quartz'), but it can be used countably when referring to individual crystals ('quartz crystals from the mine'). It frequently appears as an attributive noun before another noun: 'quartz watch', 'quartz clock', 'quartz countertop'.