pipette

noun

pi·​pette pī-ˈpet How to pronounce pipette (audio)
variants or less commonly pipet
: a small piece of apparatus which typically consists of a narrow tube into which fluid is drawn by suction (as for dispensing or measurement) and retained by closing the upper end
pipette verb
or less commonly pipet

Examples of pipette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Other problems that harm embryos can crop up in routine medical practice, Dr. Sparks said, like an embryo adhering to the side of a pipette, or a biopsy not going well. Sarah Kliff, New York Times, 22 Feb. 2024 Or, use the oil as a deep-conditioning treatment by rubbing a full pipette into the palms and smoothing the product through mid-lengths to ends. Lauren Valenti, Vogue, 4 Oct. 2023 Harvesting venom is easier when working with large spiders, which secrete the toxin — then collected noninvasively with a pipette — in sufficient amounts for researchers to analyze and test. Leah Shaffer, Discover Magazine, 24 Feb. 2016 To use, apply three to four pipettes along your hairline and part after washing your hair, then gently massage the serum into your scalp. Nicol Natale, Peoplemag, 17 May 2023 The star’s sperm cells were quickly scooped up via glass pipettes, deposited into individual vials and transferred to the aquarium’s lab where they were cryogenically frozen. City News Service, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2023 The shortage of pipette tips has meant that scientists have to come up with their own day-to-day solutions, in some cases washing and re-using pipette tips or running tests in batches, reports STAT News. Theresa MacHemer, Smithsonian Magazine, 30 Apr. 2021 The sources of these emissions include everything from single-use pipette tips in research labs, to the solvents used to make drugs, to the ultra-cold freezers that store vaccines. Betsy Ladyzhets, STAT, 28 Sep. 2023 Martí Gutierrez moved the dish over to a larger microscope, equipped with pipettes manipulated by joysticks. Dana Goodyear, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pipette.' 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

French pipette, diminutive of pipe pipe, cask, from Vulgar Latin *pipa, *pippa pipe

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pipette was in 1839

Dictionary Entries Near pipette

Cite this Entry

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

Kids Definition

pipette

noun
pi·​pette pī-ˈpet How to pronounce pipette (audio)
: a device for measuring and transferring small volumes of liquid that typically consists of a narrow glass tube into which the liquid is drawn by suction and kept by blocking the upper end
pipette verb

Medical Definition

pipette

noun
pi·​pette
variants also pipet
: a small piece of apparatus which typically consists of a narrow tube into which fluid is drawn by suction (as for dispensing or measurement) and retained by closing the upper end
pipette verb
also pipet
pipetted; pipetting
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!