substrate

American  

[suhb-streyt] / ˈsʌb streɪt /

noun

1. a substratum.

2. Biochemistry. the substance acted upon by an enzyme.

3. Electronics. a supporting material on which a circuit is formed or fabricated.

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substrate British  

/ ˈsʌbstreɪt /

noun

1. biochem the substance upon which an enzyme acts

2. another word for substratum

3. electronics the semiconductor base on which other material is deposited, esp in the construction of integrated circuits

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substrate Scientific  

/ sŭb′strāt′ /

1. The material or substance on which an enzyme acts.

2. See more at enzyme

3. The surface on or in which plants, algae, or certain animals, such as barnacles or clams, live or grow. A substrate may serve as a source of food for an organism or simply provide support.

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Etymology

Origin of substrate

First recorded in 1570–80; variant of substratum

Explanation

A substrate is the base layer of something, or a layer that's underneath another layer. It can also be a surface on which an organism grows or is attached. Substrate also has a linguistic meaning: It's an indigenous language that contributes words or parts of speech to the language of an invading people who have imposed their language on the indigenous people. Throughout the United States, for instance, there are towns with Native American names, because Native American languages form a substrate to American English.

Example Sentences

Chips Breakthrough: Substrate says it has reinvented a key link in the microchip production process and plans to use its innovation to build U.S. manufacturing facilities.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 2, 2025

Proud, who started Substrate three years ago after running startups that made sleep-tracking devices and supply-chain software, says he is aware his plans will strike many in the semiconductor business as wildly implausible.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

Substrate binding alters the shape of the enzyme to facilitate the chemical reaction in several different ways, including bringing substrates together in an optimal orientation.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Substrate compliance versus ligand density in cell on gel responses.

From Nature • Dec. 5, 2017

Underneath was printed what seemed to me an attractively mysterious message: “Carboncopies: Realistic Routes to Substrate Independent Minds. Randal A Koene, founder.”

From The Guardian • Mar. 25, 2017