substrate
noun
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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
Willy Shih, Forbes, 13 Oct. 2024
In tests, the carbon bonded to steel and nickel substrates led to a virtually frictionless state that remained robust in normal conditions for about 150,000 cycles.
—Michael Franco, New Atlas, 16 July 2024
How fast a body decays within a grave is controlled by temperature, humidity, oxygen levels, water availability, the acidity of the surrounding substrate, the chemical composition of the corpse, and the presence or lack of certain microorganisms.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024
Composting worms are usually kept indoors in worm bins filled with a natural substrate, like coconut coir.
—Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near substrate
Cite this Entry
“Substrate.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/substrate. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
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substrate
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substrate
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