The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
n. The generation of electricity or of electric polarity in dielectric crystals subjected to mechanical stress, or the generation of stress in such crystals subjected to an applied voltage.
n. The ability of certain crystals to generate a voltage in response to applied mechanical stress.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
n. electricity produced by mechanical pressure on certain crystals (notably quartz or Rochelle salt); alternatively, electrostatic stress produces a change in the linear dimensions of the crystal
Word Usage
"He also introduced her to his collaborator in piezoelectricity, Pierre"