GRAM STAIN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does Gram stain mean? 

• GRAM STAIN (noun)
  The noun GRAM STAIN has 1 sense:

1. a staining technique used to classify bacteria; bacteria are stained with gentian violet and then treated with Gram's solution; after being decolorized with alcohol and treated with safranine and washed in water, those that retain the gentian violet are Gram-positive and those that do not retain it are Gram-negative

  Familiarity information: GRAM STAIN used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GRAM STAIN (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A staining technique used to classify bacteria; bacteria are stained with gentian violet and then treated with Gram's solution; after being decolorized with alcohol and treated with safranine and washed in water, those that retain the gentian violet are Gram-positive and those that do not retain it are Gram-negative

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Synonyms:

Gram's method; Gram's procedure; Gram's stain; Gram method; Gram stain

Hypernyms ("Gram stain" is a kind of...):

staining ((histology) the use of a dye to color specimens for microscopic study)

 Context examples 

Microbiology specimen findings, including gram stain results, and organisms found.

(Microbiology Specimen Domain, NCI Thesaurus/CDISC)

This species is acid fast, stains with carbol fuchsin rather than a traditional Gram stain, has the longest doubling time of all known bacteria, and has never been cultured in vitro.

(Mycobacterium leprae, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is catalase and pyrase negative, nonsporulating, leucine aminopeptidase positive, does not hydrolyze esculin and may appear gram variable due to the ease at which it decolorizes during the gram stain.

(Helcococcus pyogenes, NCI Thesaurus)