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Crystallo- is a combining form used like a prefix meaning “crystal.” It is used in some scientific terms, especially in geology and mineralogy.

Crystallo- comes from the Greek ���ý���ٲ������Dz�, meaning “clear ice, rock crystal,” source of the word crystal, as you may have guessed.

But did you guess the following? The Greek ���ý���ٲ������Dz� is related to ���ý�Dz�, meaning “ice cold” or “frost” and source of the combining form cryo-. Learn more in our 51�Թ�s That Use cryo- article.

What are variants of crystallo-?

When combined with words or word elements that begin with a vowel, crystallo- becomes crystall-, as in crystallize.

When combined with word elements that come from Latin, crystallo- occasionally becomes crystalli-, as in crystalliferous.

The combining form crystallo- can be found in the term crystallography, meaning “the science dealing with crystallization and the forms and structure of crystals.”

As we know, crystallo- means “crystal.” The second half of the word, -graphy, from the Greek graphia, denotes “a process or form of drawing, writing, representing, recording, describing, etc., or an art or science concerned with such a process.” Essentially, crystallography is the science of crystals.

What are some words that use the combining form crystallo-?

• crystallographer
• crystallographic
• crystallographic axis

What are some other forms that crystallo- may be commonly confused with?

• christo-
• chryso-
• cryo-
• cyano-

The combining form -geny can variously refer to the “production,” “origin,” “development,” or “formation” of something. What, then, is ?