English Dictionary

FIXATIVE

Pronunciation (US): Play  (GB): Play

IPA (US): 

 Dictionary entry overview: What does fixative mean? 

FIXATIVE (noun)
  The noun FIXATIVE has 2 senses:

1. a compound (such as ethanol or formaldehyde) that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic studyplay

2. a varnish dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over pictures to prevent smudgingplay

  Familiarity information: FIXATIVE used as a noun is rare.


 Dictionary entry details 


FIXATIVE (noun)


Sense 1

Meaning:

A compound (such as ethanol or formaldehyde) that fixes tissues and cells for microscopic study

Classified under:

Nouns denoting substances

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

fixer; fixing agent (a chemical compound that sets or fixes something (as a dye or a photographic image))


Sense 2

Meaning:

A varnish dissolved in alcohol and sprayed over pictures to prevent smudging

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

varnish (a coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface)


 Context examples 


Tissue which has not been exposed to a fixative solution.

(Fresh Specimen, NCI Thesaurus)

Tissue which is preserved in a fixative solution, usually formalin.

(Fixed Specimen, NCI Thesaurus)

The imaging of frozen-hydrated molecules and organelles permits the best possible resolution closest to the living state, free of chemical fixatives or stains.

(Cryo-Electron Microscopy, NCI Thesaurus)

A colorless poisonous gas synthesized by the oxidation of methanol and used as an antiseptic, disinfectant, histologic fixative, and general-purpose chemical reagent for laboratory applications.

(Formaldehyde, NCI Thesaurus)

A tissue fixative consisting of formaldehyde, glacial acetic acid, and picric acid.

(Bouin's Fixative, NCI Thesaurus)

A water-soluble oily liquid, C5H8O2, containing two aldehyde groups, used as a disinfectant and as a fixative for biological tissues.

(Glutaral, NCI Thesaurus)



 Learn English with... Proverbs 
"Pain is only weakness leaving the body." (English proverb)

"There is no man nor thing without his defect, and often they have two or three of them" (Breton proverb)

"A book is like a garden carried in the pocket." (Arabic proverb)

"The one not dancing knows lots of songs." (Cypriot proverb)



ALSO IN ENGLISH DICTIONARY:


© 2000-2023 AudioEnglish.org | AudioEnglish® is a Registered Trademark | Terms of use and privacy policy
Contact