quartz
/k(w)ɔɹts/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.70 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
1
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
The most abundant mineral on the earth's surface, of chemical composition silicon dioxide, SiO₂. It occurs in a variety of forms, both crystalline and amorphous. Found in every environment.
Countable; Uncountable
Example Sentences
- "The telescope and collimator have each an object-glass consisting of a single lens of quartz 1½ inch diameter and a focal length of 18½ inches for the sodium yellow light, but not more than 16 inches for the highest rays measured."
- "Subsequently, the old Malay brought him the present specimen in a state of torpidity, telling him he had found it in a cavity of the quartz reef."
- "My meat eats me. Who waits at the gate? / Mother of quartz, your words writhe into my ear. / Renew the light, lewd whisper."
Etymology
From German Quarz, from Middle High German (Central East German) quarz, twarc, from a West Slavic language [compare Polish twardy (“hard”), Czech tvrdý (“hard”)], from Proto-Slavic *tvьrdъ ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *twerH- (“to enclose, grab”).
Origin
Word Breakdown
- Root: Quarz, *tvьrdъ, *twerH-
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /k(w)ɔɹts/
- British English: /k(w)ɔːts/