ACID-FAST

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does acid-fast mean? 

• ACID-FAST (adjective)
  The adjective ACID-FAST has 1 sense:

1. not easily decolorized by acid solutions; pertains to micro-organisms (especially the tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis)

  Familiarity information: ACID-FAST used as an adjective is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACID-FAST (adjective)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Not easily decolorized by acid solutions; pertains to micro-organisms (especially the tubercle bacillus that causes tuberculosis)

Similar:

imperviable; impervious (not admitting of passage or capable of being affected)

 Context examples 

This species is acid-fast, rapidly growing, catalase, urease and Tween 80 hydrolysis positive, and tellurite reductase, iron uptake, and arylsulfatase (14 days) negative, and is susceptible to ciprofloxacin.

(Mycobacterium thermoresistibile, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is acid-fast, catalase, urease and nitrate reduction negative, positive for acid phosphatase activity, and is resistant to isoniazid, para-aminosalicylic acid (PAS) and ethambutol, but sensitive to rifampicin and streptomycin.

(Mycobacterium ulcerans, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is catalase and urease positive, acid-fast, hydrolyzes esculin but not casein, reduces nitrate, and characteristically produces a mycelium that fragments into bacillary and coccoid elements.

(Nocardia asteroides, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is nonmotile, catalase and urease positive, acid-fast, oxidase negative, hydrolyzes casein, elastin, esculin, hypoxanthine, testosterone, and tyrosine, but not xanthine, produces acid phosphatase, and reduces nitrate.

(Nocardia brasiliensis, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is acid-fast, positive for nitrate reductase, tellurite reductase, catalase and Tween hydrolysis, and is negative for urease.

(Mycobacterium terrae, NCI Thesaurus)

The use of acid-fast stain to examine a specimen for the presence of acid-fast microorganisms, specifically mycobacteria.

(Acid Fast Bacillae Staining Method, NCI Thesaurus)

A microscopy staining method, that does not utilize heat in the slide preparation, used to examine a specimen for the presence of acid-fast microorganisms, specifically nocardia.

(Modified Acid Fast Staining Method, NCI Thesaurus)

A genus of acid-fast Gram-positive, aerobic and nonmotile bacteria in the phylum Actinobacteria.

(Mycobacterium, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is acid-fast, nonmotile, does not reduce nitrate, is amidase, urease and nicotinamidase positive and benzamidase, isonicotinamidase, succinamidase and acetamidase negative.

(Mycobacterium abscessus, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is acid-fast, grows on MacConkey's agar, is iron uptake and nitrite reduction positive, and 3 day arylsulfatase negative.

(Mycobacterium smegmatis, NCI Thesaurus)