supernatant
1
9.7
Floating on top of a liquid above solid material after it settles
- adjective
- /ˌsuːpərˈneɪtənt/
- Specialized
:
supernatante
- The microscopy of the blood plasma precipitate after plasma centrifugation and supernatant removal increases the chance of bacteria detection.
Examples
-
The clear supernatant above the settled sediment indicated successful separation after centrifugation.
-
After the reaction, a colored supernatant floated on the top layer of liquid in the test tube.
-
During the experiment, the clear supernatant was siphoned off to analyze the remaining particles.
Synonyms
floating
vssupernatant
47
1.0
On the surface of water and not sinking
sits specifically above settled solid particles rather than anywhere on the surface
Antonyms
Surface Forms
supernatant positive
Morphology
supernatant = natant (semi-transparent) = super + natant
The prefix 'super-' is clear, but 'natant' is less commonly known, making the overall meaning less transparent.
Etymology
Supernatant comes from the Latin parts super 'above' and natare 'to swim', so it literally means 'swimming above'; as an adjective, it describes a liquid that is floating on the surface above a sediment.