agar

noun \ ˈä-gər \

|Updated on: 7 Aug 2018

Definition of agar

1 : a gelatinous colloidal extract of a red alga (as of the genera Gelidium, Gracilaria, and Eucheuma) used especially in culture media or as a gelling and stabilizing agent in foods

2 : a culture medium containing agar

See agar defined for kids

Recent Examples of agar from the Web

The agar was a kind of stage on which the experiment played out, where cells divided and bacteria and viruses interacted and changed each other.

— eve fairbanks, The New Republic, "The World in a World Cup," 5 July 2018
But the culture technique — agar in a petri dish – is technology from 1886.

— sandy bauers, Philly.com, "How high-tech genomics - and simple aspirin - could make your joint replacement better," 17 May 2018
Among the offerings: a large turkey leg, an alligator head and bowls of gelatinous agar that resemble consomme.

— amina khan, latimes.com, "A search for some of Earth’s most extreme creatures in the West Coast's deepest underwater canyon," 20 Apr. 2018
Perhaps the boldest scent is the oud Ombre Nomade, which is a Middle Eastern scent taken from the agar tree, the wood from which is some of the most expensive in the world.

— shannon barbour, The Cut, "Louis Vuitton Is Creating a Chocolate-Inspired Perfume," 26 Apr. 2018
Many of Boyd's desserts have a shiny layer on top, usually made from local produce set with agar.

— kathleen purvis, charlotteobserver, "There's something special about the desserts at these 4 Charlotte restaurants. Do you know the secret? | Charlotte Observer," 25 Apr. 2018
Seedpods are sterilized and opened to extract the seeds, which are then sowed onto an agar media in a scientific flask for germination to take place.

— jennifer billock, Smithsonian, "Over 60,000 Plants Bloom Inside the World’s Largest Orchid Garden," 20 July 2017
To make agar gel, whisk cold water and agar together in saucepan.

— molly kimball, NOLA.com, "Don't let 'vegan cheese' label scare you away from these tasty nut, veggie spreads," 29 Aug. 2017
Each colony that ended up growing on the agar represented one original bacterial cell from the frosting.

— sarah zhang, The Atlantic, "Blowing Out Birthday Candles Increases Cake Bacteria by 1,400 Percent," 27 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'agar.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of agar

short for Malay agar-agar, name for the red alga from which it is extracted

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1885

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

agar

noun \ ˈäg-ər \

medical Definition of agar

1 : a gelatinous colloidal extract of a red alga (as of the genera Gelidium, Gracilaria, and Eucheuma) used especially in culture media or as a gelling and stabilizing agent in foods

2 : a culture medium containing agar