SUPERNATANT

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does supernatant mean? 

• SUPERNATANT (noun)
  The noun SUPERNATANT has 1 sense:

1. the clear liquid that lies above a sediment or precipitate

  Familiarity information: SUPERNATANT used as a noun is very rare.

• SUPERNATANT (adjective)
  The adjective SUPERNATANT has 1 sense:

1. of a liquid; floating on the surface above a sediment or precipitate

  Familiarity information: SUPERNATANT used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• SUPERNATANT (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

The clear liquid that lies above a sediment or precipitate

Classified under:

Nouns denoting natural objects (not man-made)

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

liquid (a substance that is liquid at room temperature and pressure)

Derivation:

supernatant (of a liquid; floating on the surface above a sediment or precipitate)

• SUPERNATANT (adjective)

Comparative: supernatanter   
Superlative: supernatantest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Of a liquid; floating on the surface above a sediment or precipitate

Context example:

the supernatant fat was skimmed off

Similar:

supported (held up or having the weight borne especially from below)

Domain category:

chemical science; chemistry (the science of matter; the branch of the natural sciences dealing with the composition of substances and their properties and reactions)

Derivation:

supernatant (the clear liquid that lies above a sediment or precipitate)

 Context examples 

Collection of a material of interest from a cell culture supernatant.

(Harvest of Product from Cell Media, NCI Thesaurus)

A bioassay used in the detection of interleukin-2 (IL-2) or interleukin-4 (IL-4) in the supernatants of in vitro-stimulated cells.

(CTLL-2 Assay, NCI Thesaurus)