substrate

noun

sub·​strate ˈsəb-ˌstrāt How to pronounce substrate (audio)
1
2
: the base on which an organism lives
the soil is the substrate of most seed plants
3
: a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)

Did you know?

With its Latin prefix sub-, "below", substrate obviously refers to a layer under something else. Rock may serve as the substrate for the coral in a coral reef. Tiny wafers of silicon (or another semiconductor) serve as the substrate for computer chips. Substrate may also mean subsoil—that is, the layer under the topsoil, lacking in organic matter or humus. Substrate is part of the vocabulary of various other sciences, including chemistry and biology. But although it's mostly a scientific term, writers may also use it to mean simply "foundation"—for instance, when observing that reading is the substrate on which most other learning is based.

Examples of substrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web When submerged in seawater, the substrates release ions that coral seem to respond to. Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 24 Sep. 2024 The company also plans to manufacture solar cells by melting patches of the moon’s surface, forming a glassy substrate, and then coating it with aluminum, silicon, and aluminum again. Matthew Hutson, The New Yorker, 24 Sep. 2024 In Alaska, where permafrost is thawing into a substrate more akin to a waterbed, roads can resemble an undulating line of ribbon candy. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 14 Aug. 2024 The game of chess doesn’t depend on its physical substrate. Oshan Jarow, Vox, 15 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for substrate 

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

Medieval Latin substratum

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of substrate was in 1730

Dictionary Entries Near substrate

Cite this Entry

“Substrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substrate. Accessed 3 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

substrate

noun
sub·​strate ˈsəb-ˌstrāt How to pronounce substrate (audio)
1
: an underlying layer: as
b
: the base on which an organism lives or over which it moves
the soil is the substrate of most plants
2
: a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)

Medical Definition

substrate

noun
sub·​strate ˈsəb-ˌstrāt How to pronounce substrate (audio)
1
2
: the base on which an organism lives
3
: a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)

More from Merriam-Webster on substrate

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