test-tube

adjective

\ ˈtes(t)-ˌt(y)üb

Definition of test-tube

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : in vitro test-tube experiments

2 : produced by in vitro fertilization test-tube babies

test tube

noun

Definition of test tube (Entry 2 of 2)

: 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: Noun

For a summer centerpiece, pile green apples on a breadboard; among the apples, insert test tubes containing white garden flowers; then garnish the arrangement with parsley. 6. — Maggie O'neill, Good Housekeeping, "25 Practical Tips for Flower Arrangements From 1952," 7 May 2015 In a test tube, the resulting fusion antibodies could neutralize flu strains that neither of their single constituents could alone. — Diana Gitig, Ars Technica, "Llama “nanobodies” might grant universal flu protection," 5 Nov. 2018 Other studies have been done in lab animals, or in vitro (meaning in a test tube, using animal brain tissue). — Dan Nosowitz, Vox, "The super-popular cannabis compound, explained.," 1 Nov. 2018 As such, the Dugout Loop is likely a test tunnel (a test tube?) to see if The Boring Company can get this right. — Megan Geuss, Ars Technica, "Elon Musk’s Boring Company proposes one-way, 3.6 mile tunnel to Dodger Stadium," 16 Aug. 2018 While the technique had only been demonstrated on molecules in test tubes at that point, the implications were breathtaking. — Brad Plumer, Vox, "A simple guide to CRISPR, one of the biggest science stories of the decade," 23 July 2018 Naturally, this idea of stuffing art into a test tube has its skeptics. — Tom Mashberg, New York Times, "Do You Like ‘Dogs Playing Poker’? Science Would Like to Know Why," 8 July 2018 Or the Boston Cream Pie push pops served by Bristol-Myers Squibb in what resembled tiny test tubes. — Jonathan Saltzman, BostonGlobe.com, "For smaller companies, a presence at BIO conference is a big deal," 7 June 2018 In human cells in a test tube and in mice bearing human senescent cells, the dasatinib-quercitin cocktail showed equally promising results, targeting senescent cells while leaving other cells intact. — Melissa Healy, latimes.com, "This drug cocktail reduced signs of age-related diseases and extended life in mice and human cells," 10 July 2018

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