pipette

American  

[pahy-pet, pi-] / paɪˈpɛt, pɪ- /

Or pipet

noun

1. a slender graduated tube used in a laboratory for measuring and transferring quantities of liquids from one container to another.

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verb (used with object)

pipettes, present (3rd person singular) pipetted, past participle, past pipetting present participle

1. to measure or transfer a quantity of a liquid with a pipette.

pipette British  

/ pɪˈpɛt /

noun

1. a calibrated glass tube drawn to a fine bore at one end, filled by sucking liquid into the bulb, and used to transfer or measure known volumes of liquid

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verb

1. (tr) to transfer or measure out (a liquid) using a pipette

pipette Scientific  

/ pī-pĕt′ /

1. A graduated narrow glass tube, often with an enlarged bulb, used for transferring measured volumes of liquids.

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Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• pipetting
  present
• pipetted
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• pipette
  simple
• pipettes
  simple
• have pipetted
  perfect
• has pipetted
  perfect
• am pipetting
  progressive
• are pipetting
  progressive
• is pipetting
  progressive
• have been pipetting
  perfect progressive
• has been pipetting
  perfect progressive

Past

• pipetted
  simple
• had pipetted
  perfect
• was pipetting
  progressive
• were pipetting
  progressive
• had been pipetting
  perfect progressive

Future

• will pipette
  simple
• will have pipetted
  perfect
• will be pipetting
  progressive
• will have been pipetting
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of pipette

From French, dating back to 1830–40; see origin at pipe ¹, -ette

Explanation

One of the tools in a chemistry lab is a pipette, a glass tube used to move liquids. If you were examining a chemical under your microscope, you'd use a pipette to put a drop on your slide. Some pipettes are used for measuring small amounts of liquid, but the most common use is transporting them from one place to another. When you squeeze a small bulb attached to the pipette, the vacuum you've created sucks fluid up into the slender glass instrument. Think of an eye dropper, the most commonly-used type of pipette. The word comes from Middle French, in which it means "tube."

Example Sentences

The pipette she uses to remove the venom from the fangs is attached to a suction hose - crucial for collecting as much venom as possible, since each spider provides only small amounts.

From BBC • May 16, 2025

Using a pipette tip, the researchers could pick up tiny balls of cells and place them precisely where they self-assemble and create a solid tissue.

From Science Daily • Dec. 3, 2024

Holding a pipette carefully in one hand, Laxamana talked through the radio to troubleshoot the problem.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2024

Whenever he saw standing water Gomes grabbed a hand pipette out of his bag and looked for larvae, which he collected in a white plastic container.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 15, 2024

Headmarveller MacDonald pulled the cork from the bottle, inserted a pipette, and drew out a bit of the liquid.

From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton

Related Words

• cylinder
• duct
• pipe
• pipeline
• tunnel