microstructure

noun

mi·​cro·​struc·​ture ˈmī-krō-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce microstructure (audio)
: the microscopic structure of a material (such as a mineral or a biological cell)
microstructural adjective

Examples of microstructure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Current computers still can’t run highly detailed plutonium models that capture the element’s microstructure. Eric Betz, Discover Magazine, 19 Mar. 2019 Neuroscientists have long viewed memory as a kind of neural architecture, a literal physical reshaping of the microstructure of the brain. Kat McGowan, Discover Magazine, 31 July 2010 This hybrid result came from the combination of two conventional methods of microstructure formation. Sylvia Morrow, Discover Magazine, 3 July 2017 Super black is an effect created by unique scales whose microstructure extinguishes over 99 percent of light to create surreal voids, making other colors appear more brilliant. Jesse Hawley, Discover Magazine, 6 May 2021 The robot probed beneath the worn surface of Mars, analyzing the microstructure of rocks and soil with a sophisticated array of instruments: spectrometers, microscopic imagers, and other tools. Aline Reynolds, Discover Magazine, 19 Feb. 2010 These materials spread impact around and dissipate energy in an ideal way for the microstructure needed in a body armor design. Caroline Delbert, Popular Mechanics, 5 Apr. 2022 Scientists analyzed one of the beads in 2013 and found that its microstructure and composition were very similar to that of an iron meteorite. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 23 Feb. 2022 To take a closer look at the tomb mortar's microstructure, Jackson teamed up with MIT colleagues Linda Seymour and Admir Masic, as well as Lawrence Berkeley Lab's Nobumichi Tamura. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 1 Jan. 2022

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microstructure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of microstructure was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near microstructure

Cite this Entry

“Microstructure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microstructure. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

microstructure

noun
mi·​cro·​struc·​ture ˈmī-krō-ˌstrək-chər How to pronounce microstructure (audio)
: microscopic structure (as of a cell)
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