test-tube

1 of 2

adjective

1
: in vitro
test-tube experiments
2
: produced by in vitro fertilization
test-tube babies

test tube

2 of 2

noun

: a plain or lipped tube usually of thin glass closed at one end and used especially in chemistry and biology

Examples of test-tube in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
In a departure from her usual beat, Ms. Hosler wrote a moving first person account in 1985 for the old Sunday Sun Magazine about her experiences as one of the first to go through Hopkins’s test-tube baby program which in her case was not successful. Frederick N. Rasmussen, Baltimore Sun, 11 Feb. 2024 National Geographic harnesses some of that tendency in this kit that contains instructions and equipment for 15 different gross experiments with themes like boiling boogers, farting slime, bursting blood cells, eyeballs, and test-tube vomit. Cheryl Fenton, Parents, 22 Nov. 2023 On this day 45 years ago, Louise Brown — the world’s first test-tube baby — was born. Elvia Limón, Los Angeles Times, 25 July 2023
Noun
Some weight loss drugs can make your birth control pill less effective Studies done in test tubes have found that tirzepatide — the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound — reduces the efficacy of oral contraception, aka the birth control pill, according to the drugs’ labels. Katie Camero, USA TODAY, 21 Mar. 2024 Aravind’s colleague Aaron Whiteley and his lab at University of Colorado and his lab equipped E. coli with NACHT domains and grew them in test tubes. Quanta Magazine, 6 Mar. 2024 To overcome this issue, the researchers used a number of cutting-edge laboratory techniques to recreate and isolate double-strand DNA breaks in a test tube, entirely independent of cells. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 25 Feb. 2024 Some believe embryos – even if frozen, in a test tube, and nonviable unless implanted – should be protected as human. Ali Martin, The Christian Science Monitor, 18 Mar. 2024 Facebook Show more sharing options SAN DIEGO — Periodic downpours Saturday were no match for ice cold volcanic eruptions, whimsical robots, and colorful test tube experiments, as families flocked to Snapdragon Stadium for the annual San Diego Festival of Science and Engineering’s Expo Day. Lori Weisberg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 3 Mar. 2024 If not serving immediately, gently shake each test tube before serving as the ingredients will settle slightly. Lauren Hubbard, Town & Country, 2 Aug. 2023 The ground is littered with bottles of water, soft drinks and test tubes containing leaf and soil samples used in DNA testing to identify the dead. Roger Cohen Avishag Shaar-Yashuv, New York Times, 15 Oct. 2023 The locks were decontaminated one hair at a time using tweezers and a light bleach concentration; they were then rinsed in water and put into a test tube. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 22 Mar. 2023

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

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1866, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1846, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of test-tube was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near test-tube

Cite this Entry

“Test-tube.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/test-tube. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

test tube

noun
: a tube of thin glass closed at one end and used especially in chemistry and biology

Medical Definition

test-tube

1 of 2 adjective
1
: in vitro
test-tube experiments
2
: produced by in vitro fertilization
test-tube babies

test tube

2 of 2 noun
: a plain or lipped tube usually of thin glass closed at one end and used especially in chemistry and biology
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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