Gram method
- noun
- /ɡræm ˈmɛθəd/
- Specialized
:
método de Gram
- After using the Gram method, the microbiologist determined the bacteria were Gram-negative.
Examples
-
The Gram method is essential for identifying bacterial species in clinical laboratories.
-
Medical students must learn the proper steps of the Gram method during their training.
-
The Gram method is essential in microbiology.
-
Did you learn about the Gram method in class?
-
The Gram method allows scientists to distinguish between Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.
-
In the laboratory, we frequently use the Gram method to classify unknown bacterial samples.
-
Understanding the Gram method is fundamental for microbiology students studying bacterial classification.
Synonyms
1
5.1
A lab test that uses dyes and a microscope to show if bacteria keep a purple colour
1
4.8
A lab method that uses dye to show whether bacteria keep or lose the dye
A way to stain bacteria with purple dye to tell them apart
A lab method that stains bacteria to show if they have thick or thin cell walls
Surface Forms
Morphology
Gram + method
The phrase names a specific scientific staining technique and the element 'Gram' is an eponym/proper name rather than a compositional lexical item whose meaning a learner could infer. Knowing 'method' alone does not reveal the bacteriology/staining sense, so a typical B1 learner would not be able to derive the MWE's meaning from its parts.
Etymology
Gram method is named after a scientist, Hans Christian Gram, who used a purple dye to color bacteria. Some bacteria kept the purple color and others did not, so the color test became a simple way to 'tell them apart', and that is why the Gram method means this test today.