pipette

noun

pi·​pette pī-ˈpet 

variants or less commonly pipet

: a small piece of apparatus which typically consists of a narrow tube into which fluid is drawn by suction (as for dispensing or measurement) and retained by closing the upper end

pipette verb

or less commonly pipet

Examples of pipette in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Or, use the oil as a deep-conditioning treatment by rubbing a full pipette into the palms and smoothing the product through mid-lengths to ends. —Jenny Berg, Vogue, 1 Nov. 2024

This then works like an acoustic pipette, blasting the mixture with sound waves. —Michael Irving, New Atlas, 21 Oct. 2024

Then, under a microscope, the nucleus of an oocyte is sucked out with a tiny pipette and replaced with the nucleus from a skin cell of the dog who’s being cloned. —Alexandra Horowitz, The New Yorker, 24 June 2024

Beate recalled the scene: a punch of fruits and cognac, white wine and champagne, distributed into glasses by crystal pipette. —John Ganz, Harper's Magazine, 22 May 2024

Word History

Etymology

French pipette, diminutive of pipe pipe, cask, from Vulgar Latin *pipa, *pippa pipe

First Known Use

1839, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

pipette

noun

pi·​pette pī-ˈpet 

: a device for measuring and transferring small volumes of liquid that typically consists of a narrow glass tube into which the liquid is drawn by suction and kept by blocking the upper end

pipette verb

Medical Definition

pipette

noun

pi·​pette

variants also pipet

pī-ˈpet 

: a small piece of apparatus which typically consists of a narrow tube into which fluid is drawn by suction (as for dispensing or measurement) and retained by closing the upper end

pipette verb

also pipet

pipetted; pipetting