crystallography

noun

crys·​tal·​log·​ra·​phy ˌkri-stə-ˈlä-grə-fē 

: a science that deals with the forms and structures of crystals

crystallographer

ˌkri-stə-ˈlä-grə-fər 

noun

Examples of crystallography in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Scientists have made tremendous strides in determining the three-dimensional structures of these target proteins through x-ray crystallography and NMR. —Chuck Brooks, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024

To identify the actual structures, researchers typically turn to x-ray crystallography. —Byrobert F. Service, science.org, 1 Aug. 2024

Before 2016, the only way to determine the shape of a protein was through X-ray crystallography, a laboratory technique that uses the diffraction of X-rays by single crystals to determine the precise arrangement of atoms and molecules in three dimensions in a molecule. —Marc Zimmer, Discover Magazine, 10 June 2024

The researchers tried to do crystallography on it, but the results are somewhat ambiguous. —John Timmer, Ars Technica, 8 Mar. 2023

Word History

Etymology

crystallo- + -graphy (after French cristallographie or New Latin crystallographia)

First Known Use

1784, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

crystallography

noun

crys·​tal·​log·​ra·​phy ˌkris-tə-ˈläg-rə-fē 

: a science that deals with the form and structure of crystals

crystallographer

-fər 

noun

Medical Definition

crystallography

noun

crys·​tal·​log·​ra·​phy ˌkris-tə-ˈläg-rə-fē 

plural crystallographies

: a science that deals with the forms and structures of crystals see x-ray crystallography

crystallographer

-fər 

noun

crystallographic

-lə-ˈgraf-ik 

adjective

crystallographically

-ik(ə-)lē 

adverb