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

How fast a body decays within a grave is controlled by temperature, humidity, oxygen levels, water availability, the acidity of the surrounding substrate, the chemical composition of the corpse, and the presence or lack of certain microorganisms. —David Bressan, Forbes, 31 Oct. 2024

Composting worms are usually kept indoors in worm bins filled with a natural substrate, like coconut coir. —Lauren Landers, Better Homes & Gardens, 26 Oct. 2024

The different layers of substrate and representation seek the play of scale in space, characteristics of materials and symbolism. —Photovogue, Vogue, 9 Sep. 2024

As the mushrooms grow on top of the substrate, their rootlike mycelium network expands in the medium to become a material that can be compressed and heated into building blocks. —Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 12 Sep. 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)