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ice crystal 1. Any one of a number of macroscopic crystalline forms in which ice appears. 2. As a plural (ice crystals) a type of precipitation composed of slowly falling, very small, unbranched crystals of ice which often seem to float in the air. It may fall from a cloud or from a cloudless sky. It is visible only in direct sunlight or in an artificial light beam, and does not appreciably reduce visibility. The latter quality helps to distinguish it from ice fog, which is composed largely of droxtals.

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