ice crystal
Definition
- Noun:
- A small, often microscopic, crystal of ice: A tiny, solid particle of ice with a symmetrical, geometric structure, typically forming in cold atmospheric conditions.
Usage
- General Use: The term "ice crystal" is used primarily in scientific contexts, especially meteorology and atmospheric science, to describe the fundamental building blocks of snowflakes and other frozen precipitation.
- Key Context: It refers to the individual crystalline structure, not a collection or mass of ice. It is a countable noun.
Examples
- Noun:
- Under the microscope, each snowflake revealed itself to be a complex aggregation of individual ice crystals.
- The formation of an ice crystal begins when water vapor deposits directly onto a tiny particle in the air.
Advanced Usage
- "Diamond dust": A meteorological phenomenon consisting of a ground-level cloud of very small, sparkling ice crystals.
- The air glittered with diamond dust, a shower of minute ice crystals.
Variants and Related Words
- Snow crystal: Often used synonymously with "ice crystal," though it can imply a more complete, often hexagonal, stellar form.
- Frost crystal: An ice crystal that forms by deposition (from vapor to solid) on a cold surface.
- Ice nucleus: The particle upon which an ice crystal initially forms.
Synonyms
- Frost particle
- Ice spicule (though this can imply a specific needle-like shape)
Related Phrases
- Ice crystal habit: The characteristic shape (e.g., plate, column, needle) that an ice crystal grows into, determined by temperature and humidity.
- The scientist studied how temperature affects the ice crystal habit.
Noun
-
small crystals of ice
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