FIXATIVE

Pronunciation (US):

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IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fixative mean? 

• FIXATIVE (noun)
  The noun FIXATIVE has 2 senses:

1. a compound (such as ethanol or formaldehyde) that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study

2. a varnish dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over pictures to prevent smudging

  Familiarity information: FIXATIVE used as a noun is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• FIXATIVE (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A compound (such as ethanol or formaldehyde) that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

Hypernyms ("fixative" is a kind of...):

fixer; fixing agent (a chemical compound that sets or fixes something (as a dye or a photographic image))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A varnish dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over pictures to prevent smudging

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("fixative" is a kind of...):

varnish (a coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface)

 Context examples 

Tissue which has not been exposed to a fixative solution.

(Fresh Specimen, NCI Thesaurus)

Tissue which is preserved in a fixative solution, usually formalin.

(Fixed Specimen, NCI Thesaurus)

The imaging of frozen-hydrated molecules and organelles permits the best possible resolution closest to the living state, free of chemical fixatives or stains.

(Cryo-Electron Microscopy, NCI Thesaurus)

A colorless poisonous gas synthesized by the oxidation of methanol and used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, histologic fixative, and general-purpose chemical reagent for laboratory applications.

(Formaldehyde, NCI Thesaurus)

A tissue fixative consisting of formaldehyde, glacial acetic acid, and picric acid.

(Bouin's Fixative, NCI Thesaurus)

A water-soluble oily liquid, C5H8O2, containing two aldehyde groups, used as a disinfectant and as a fixative for biological tissues.

(Glutaral, NCI Thesaurus)