English▸ noun [mass noun] a hard mineral consisting of silica, found widely in igneous and metamorphic rocks and typically occurring as colourless or white hexagonal prisms. It is often coloured by impurities (as in amethyst, citrine, and cairngorm).
– ORIGIN late 17th century: from German Quarz, of uncertain origin; perhaps a pet form of Middle High German querch, variant of twerc dwarf (see dwarf).