Word
agar
US/ˈeɪɡɝ/
UK/ˈeɪɡɑː/
Definition
n. a jelly-like substance made from seaweed. Scientists use it in labs to grow bacteria, and cooks use it to thicken food.
n. a gelatinous substance obtained from various kinds of red algae. Used primarily as a solidifying agent in culture media for microbiological research and as a vegan alternative to gelatin in food preparation.
Examples
“The scientist put the bacteria on a plate of agar.”
“The lab technician prepared several petri dishes with nutrient-rich agar to test the water samples for contamination.”
“Because it remains solid at higher temperatures than gelatin, agar is the preferred medium for incubating human pathogens that require a stable environment at body temperature.”
Examples
simple
“The scientist put the bacteria on a plate of agar.”
contextual
“The lab technician prepared several petri dishes with nutrient-rich agar to test the water samples for contamination.”
complex
“Because it remains solid at higher temperatures than gelatin, agar is the preferred medium for incubating human pathogens that require a stable environment at body temperature.”
Usage
Typically uncountable when referring to the substance; can be countable when referring to specific types or prepared plates.
Real-World Examples
“After exposing the bacteria they're trying to target to the wastewater, the researchers grow the bacteria on agar plates (known as bacterial lawns).” Scan code
englishreference.com/q/agar