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Glite Dictionary
to cryopreserve

to cryopreserve

1 8.9
To cool and store cells, tissue, or living things at very cold temperatures so they do not decay
  • verb
  • /ˌkraɪoʊprɪˈzɜrv/
  • Specialized
translation icon : criopreservar
  • The laboratory plans to cryopreserve samples of human tissue for long-term storage.
  • cryopreserved sperm
  • cryopreserved embryos

But maybe they can offer to cryopreserve Elon Musk's head in return for him saving a few fish.

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Examples

  • As long as viable cryopreserved sperm or embryos remain stored, genes do not die with the animal.

    Academic text (1997)

  • Researchers can cryopreserve cells by using liquid nitrogen to keep them viable for future use.

  • I tell her they could get cryopreserved as well.

    Academic text (2011)

  • Shoot tips of garlic were cryopreserved because these plants represent the greatest genetic diversity in the collection.

    Academic text (2005)

  • We have taken this approach further by demonstrating that cryopreserved sperm can be used to help manage small populations.

    Academic text (1997)

  • One solution is to cryopreserve sperm and embryos from genotypes that are not currently in use but are potentially valuable in the future.

    Academic text (1997)

  • In some cases, only minor refinements will be needed to ensure that a cryopreserved sample is viable upon thawing.

    Academic text (1997)

  • For example, cattle sperm that have been cryopreserved for 37 years retain fertilization capacity (Leibo 1994).

    Academic text (1997)

  • To ensure genetic material remains intact, scientists will cryopreserve the embryos of endangered species.

Synonyms

to vitrify
vsto cryopreserve
  • Specialized
1 9.3

To preserve cells or embryos by cooling them fast so liquids become like glass without ice crystals

uses low temperatures to prevent decay rather than making a glass-like solid
to deep-freeze
vsto cryopreserve
3.8

To put food into a very cold freezer so it stays good for a long time

targets living cells and tissues using cooling to stop decay

How Cold

to cryopreserve
  • Specialized
1 8.9
freeze
44 1.4

Surface Forms

cryopreserve infinitive
cryopreserved past
cryopreserved past participle
cryopreserving present participle
cryopreserves third person singular

Morphology

cryopreserve = preserve (semi-transparent) = cryo + preserve

The meaning 'preserve by cold' is compositionally clear but the combining form 'cryo-' is technical and may be unfamiliar to average learners.

Etymology

The word cryopreserve combines the prefix cryo- and the verb preserve. Cryo- comes from a Greek word meaning 'cold', so cryopreserve means 'to keep something by making it very cold', like freezing food but at much lower temperatures to stop decay.