crystallise
gb/kɹˈɪstəlɪs/ us/kɹˈɪstəlɪs/
B2
Anglais
Sens
0 sens
Verbe
C1
process
1
become clear and definite
to become clear and certain
Schéma d’usage :
[idea/plan/situation] crystallises
Erreur fréquente :
In American English the usual spelling is crystallize.
Synonymes
take shape (more informal and visual.)
|
clarify (focuses on becoming easier to understand.)
|
solidify (emphasises becoming firm or fixed.)
Antonymes
blur (to become less clear or distinct.)
|
confuse (to become harder to understand.)
Collocations
ideas crystallise
|a plan crystallises
|a strategy crystallises
|a decision crystallises
|thoughts crystallise
|the situation crystallises
|gradually crystallise
|begin to crystallise
Thèmes
thinking
|communication
|work
Exemples
- After a few meetings, the main issues began to crystallise.
- Her thoughts crystallised as she wrote the first paragraph.
- Over time, public opinion crystallised around two competing views.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My plan crystallised after I talked to my teacher.
- The idea crystallised slowly.
Verbe
C1
action
2
make something clear and definite
to make something clear and fixed
Schéma d’usage :
crystallise [an idea/plan/decision]
Erreur fréquente :
Don’t use it for making something physically clean; it means making an idea or plan clear.
Synonymes
clarify (more common and less metaphorical.)
|
define (emphasises setting clear limits or meaning.)
|
pin down (more informal; emphasises precision.)
Antonymes
muddy (to make something less clear.)
|
obscure (to hide or make harder to understand.)
Collocations
crystallise an idea
|crystallise a plan
|crystallise a strategy
|crystallise a proposal
|crystallise a decision
|help crystallise
|serve to crystallise
|crystallise the argument
Thèmes
thinking
|communication
|business
Exemples
- The report helped crystallise the risks for investors.
- A good diagram can crystallise a complex process.
- The conversation crystallised what each team needed to deliver.
Exemples pédagogiques
- Writing notes crystallised my ideas.
- The example crystallised the rule for me.
Verbe
technical
C1
process
3
form crystals from a liquid
to form small hard crystals
Schéma d’usage :
[substance/solution] crystallises
Erreur fréquente :
This is about crystal formation (often from a solution), not about glass or “crystal” as a material.
Synonymes
solidify (broader; not necessarily into crystals.)
|
precipitate (often used when a solid forms from solution; more technical.)
Antonymes
dissolve (to go into solution rather than forming a solid.)
|
melt (to change from solid to liquid.)
Collocations
begin to crystallise
|crystallise rapidly
|crystallise slowly
|crystallise at room temperature
|crystallise on cooling
|the solution crystallises
|the melt crystallises
Thèmes
science
|materials
|food
Exemples
- As the solution cooled, the salt began to crystallise.
- At lower temperatures the mixture crystallises more readily.
- If left undisturbed, the compound will crystallise overnight.
Exemples pédagogiques
- The salt crystallised when the water cooled.
Verbe
technical
C1
action
4
cause crystals to form
to make a substance form crystals
Schéma d’usage :
crystallise [a substance] (from [a solution])
Erreur fréquente :
Often used in passive voice in lab contexts (e.g., “was crystallised from ethanol”).
Synonymes
precipitate (emphasises forcing a solid out of solution; may not imply crystals.)
|
solidify (broader; does not specify crystal structure.)
Antonymes
dissolve (to make a solid go into solution.)
Collocations
crystallise a compound
|crystallise a solution
|crystallise from ethanol
|crystallise from water
|crystallise by cooling
|crystallise by evaporation
|successfully crystallise
Thèmes
science
|materials
|food
Exemples
- They crystallised the compound from ethanol to purify it.
- Cooling the mixture crystallised the sugar.
- The technique crystallises proteins for X-ray analysis.
Exemples pédagogiques
- We crystallised the salt from water.
Verbe
technical
C2
action
5
purify by crystallisation
to purify something by making crystals
Schéma d’usage :
crystallise [a substance] (out of [a solution])
Erreur fréquente :
Not the same as “clarify” (make clear); this is a lab purification method.
Synonymes
recrystallise (specifically to crystallise again for extra purification.)
|
purify (general word without specifying the method.)
Antonymes
contaminate (to make less pure.)
Collocations
crystallise a product
|crystallise the material
|crystallise impurities out
|crystallise out of solution
|recrystallise and crystallise
|crystallise to purity
Thèmes
science
|chemistry
Exemples
- The chemist crystallised the product to remove impurities.
- The compound was crystallised to a high level of purity.
- They struggled to crystallise the material without trapping solvent.
Verbe
B2
process
6
become grainy like crystals
to become grainy with sugar crystals
Schéma d’usage :
[honey/syrup/sugar] crystallises
Erreur fréquente :
In cooking this is usually not the same as ‘set’; it specifically means forming sugar crystals and becoming grainy.
Synonymes
granulate (emphasises becoming grainy; less common in everyday cooking talk.)
Antonymes
smooth out (to become smooth again.)
Collocations
honey crystallises
|syrup crystallises
|the sugar crystallises
|crystallise in the jar
|crystallise in the pan
|prevent it from crystallising
|has crystallised
Thèmes
food
|cooking
Exemples
- Honey may crystallise in cold weather, but it’s still safe to eat.
- If you stir the syrup too much, it can crystallise and turn grainy.
- The caramel crystallised because a few sugar grains stuck to the side of the pan.
Exemples pédagogiques
- My honey crystallised in the fridge.
Grammaire
Forme canonique
crystallise
API
GB/kɹˈɪstəlɪs/
US/kɹˈɪstəlɪs/
Syllabes et accentuation
crys - tal - lise (3 syllabes)
Stress on 1st syllable (crys)
Formes du mot
Verb
- Base: crystallise
- 3rd Person Singular: crystallises
- Present Participle: crystallising
- Past: crystallised
- Past Participle: crystallised
Famille de mots
Forms
crystallises
verb
crystallising
verb
crystallised
verb
Core family
Related words
crystallize
verb B2
crystallization
noun C1
Expressions
crystallise around
1/kɹˈɪstəlɪs ɚˈaʊnd/
fixed phrase
form centred on something
to form with one main focus
Exemples
- Support quickly crystallised around the new candidate.
- The debate crystallised around a single question: who should pay?
- A strong team culture crystallised around their shared goals.
crystallise into
1/kɹˈɪstəlɪs ˈɪntu/
fixed phrase
develop into a clear form
to become something clear and definite
Exemples
- Their early discussions crystallised into a workable plan.
- Anger crystallised into determination.
- The vague proposal crystallised into three concrete options.
crystallise out (of)
1/kɹˈɪstəlɪs ˈaʊt əv/
phrasal verb
technical
separate as crystals
to come out of a liquid as crystals
Exemples
- On cooling, the solute crystallised out of the solution.
- Excess salt can crystallise out and collect at the bottom of the container.
- If the concentration is too high, crystals may crystallise out unexpectedly.