substrate

noun

sub·​strate ˈsəb-ˌstrāt 

1

: substratum

2

: the base on which an organism lives

the soil is the substrate of most seed plants

3

: a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)

Did you know?

With its Latin prefix sub-, "below", substrate obviously refers to a layer under something else. Rock may serve as the substrate for the coral in a coral reef. Tiny wafers of silicon (or another semiconductor) serve as the substrate for computer chips. Substrate may also mean subsoil—that is, the layer under the topsoil, lacking in organic matter or humus. Substrate is part of the vocabulary of various other sciences, including chemistry and biology. But although it's mostly a scientific term, writers may also use it to mean simply "foundation"—for instance, when observing that reading is the substrate on which most other learning is based.

Examples of substrate in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

In the mountainous streams of southeastern China, a mother-to-be holds on to the rocky substrate as water flows over her shell. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 6 Jan. 2025

This includes reinforcing the steel body with additional bracing, and using light-weight carbon fiber for the hood, trunk lid and all interior substrates. —Alistair Charlton, Forbes, 12 Dec. 2024

Who knows what’s actually happening inside Sheridan’s enormous ham-with-a-cowboy-hat-on head, but season five’s back half is highly suggestive of some deep inner personal truth bursting through the fictional substrate. —Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 4 Dec. 2024

The substrate is both the habitat and the food for the fungus. —Bon Appétit, 9 Oct. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin substratum

First Known Use

1730, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

substrate

noun

sub·​strate ˈsəb-ˌstrāt 

1

: an underlying layer: as

a

: substratum sense a

b

: the base on which an organism lives or over which it moves

the soil is the substrate of most plants

2

: a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)

Medical Definition

substrate

noun

sub·​strate ˈsəb-ˌstrāt 

1

: substratum sense 1

2

: the base on which an organism lives

3

: a substance acted upon (as by an enzyme)