A crystal with a branching structure like that of a tree, formed when liquids solidify. The commonest example is the structure of snowflakes. Dendrites are particularly important in determining the properties of metals and alloys. In an alloy, the central part of a dendrite is richer in matter with higher melting points than the matter in the outer regions, which are slow to solidify. The growth of this type of crystal is called dendritic growth.