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.

---

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

---

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.

---

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

In his view, the real challenge is whether substrate capacity can keep up.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 12, 2026

That makes "a perfect substrate for fermentation," according to Bosco Emparanza, the CEO of Spain's MOA Foodtech.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

These membranes are then transferred onto a receiving substrate that already contains completed circuitry using a roll laminator.

From Science Daily • May 30, 2026

It is the cluster: foundries, packaging houses, substrate suppliers, materials firms, equipment engineers, testing specialists, design-service providers and process experts operating in close proximity.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 13, 2026

It is suggested that the composts act mainly by modifying the course of humus decomposition, thus bringing about drastic changes in the biological activities of the organic substrate of the soil.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Thirty-Seventh Annual Report Wooster, Ohio, September 3, 4, 5, 1946 by Northern Nut Growers Association