crystallise

Everyday

1. (science) When a substance crystallises, it forms crystals, usually as a liquid cools or water evaporates: «Salt crystallises as the water dries». tree →
2. When an idea, feeling or plan crystallises, it becomes clear and definite: «Her plan crystallised in her mind». tree →
3. (cooking) To coat fruit or flowers with sugar so they become sweet and hard: «crystallised ginger». tree →
4. When talk or a conversation crystallises, it begins to take a clear and definite shape. tree →

In the lessons

In science lessons, pupils dissolve salt, sugar or copper sulfate in water and leave it to evaporate so that crystals form; this shows separating a solid from a solution. In cooking, honey sometimes crystallises (gets grainy) in the jar; crystallised fruit decorates cakes. In stories, a vague idea «crystallises» into a plan. Phrases: «crystallise out», «crystallised fruit», «crystallised ginger».

Examples

• As the water evaporated, the salt crystallised on the saucer. tree →
• Our sugar solution crystallised on the string overnight. tree →
• Honey can crystallise if you keep it in the cold. tree →
• Gran decorated the cake with crystallised violets. tree →
• Slowly, my idea for the story crystallised. tree →
• The talk helped crystallise what I wanted to be when I grow up. tree →
• They had got just so far, and the conversation began to crystallise, as it could but do with the scanty stream which the commonplace world supplied. tree →

Note

UK, Irish, Australian and NZ spelling: crystallise; US and Canadian: crystallize. Spelled with double l. The noun is «crystallisation» (crystallization). In chemistry, cooling a hot saturated solution slowly gives bigger crystals.