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supernatant

American  
[soo-per-neyt-nt] / ˌsu pərˈneɪt nt /

adjective

  1. floating above or on the surface.


supernatant British  
/ ˌsuːpəˈneɪtənt /

adjective

  1. floating on the surface or over something

  2. chem (of a liquid) lying above a sediment or settled precipitate

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of supernatant

1655–65; < Latin supernatant- (stem of supernatāns ), present participle of supernatāre to swim or float above. See super-, natant

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The phage-free supernatant served as a comparative control.

From Science Daily • Oct. 26, 2023

In the tube that contained the phage labeled with 32P, the radioactivity was detected in the pellet that contained the heavier bacterial cells, and no radioactivity was detected in the supernatant.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

The heavier bacterial cells settled down and formed a pellet, whereas the lighter phage particles stayed in the supernatant.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

After removal of the supernatant, the pellet was washed using 100 µl 70% ethanol and dried in vacuum.

From Nature • May 8, 2018

If this be decanted and allowed to stand, the brown deposits, leaving a clear buffish-yellow supernatant liquor.

From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas

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