German

Noun

Substrate n

1. plural of Substrat

English

Noun

substrate ‎(plural substrates)

1. (biochemistry) What an enzyme acts upon.
2. (biology) A surface on which an organism grows, or to which an organism or an item is attached.

   The rock surface of a rockpool is the substrate for a sessile organism such as a limpet.

   • 2006, Edward A. Wasserman, Thomas R. Zentall, Comparative Cognition: Experimental Explorations of Animal Intelligence (ISBN 0195167651), page 520:

     Detach/subtract [tasks involve] Severing a fixed attachment between environmental objects (or the substrate) or removing object(s) from another unattached object, so the latter is a more useful tool.

   • 2000, Mike Hansell, Bird Nests and Construction Behaviour (ISBN 1139429086), page 90:

     This definition [of "tool"] is not simple, but contains several elements. The tool must not be part of the animal's body (a beak is not a tool); the user must manipulate the tool in some way for it to realise its function; and, finally, a tool cannot be attached to the substrate. This is a fairly clear definition, but does seem to produce some rather arbitrary distinctions (Hansell 1987b). The spider Dinopis, for example, makes a small web which it holds in its legs, thrusting it down on passing ants. This is a tool, but all other webs, however complex, are not since they are anchored to the substrate. The woodpecker finch [...] that uses a fine stick held in the beak to extract insect prey from wood, is a tool user, but a shrike [...] that impales an insect on a thorn still attached to the bush is not.

3. An underlying layer; a substratum.
4. (linguistics) A language that is replaced in a population by another language and that influences the language imposed on its speakers.
5. (plating) A metal which is plated with another metal which has different physical properties.
6. (construction) A surface to which a substance adheres.
7. The substance lining the bottom edge of an enclosure.

   The substrate of an aquarium can affect the water's acidity.

   Stream substrate affects fish longevity.

Synonyms

• underlayer

Translations

Verb

substrate ‎(third-person singular simple present substrates, present participle substrating, simple past and past participle substrated)

1. (obsolete, transitive) To strew or lay under.
   • Boyle

     The melted glass being supported by the substrated sand.

Adjective

substrate ‎(comparative more substrate, superlative most substrate)

1. Having very slight furrows.

See also

• substrate on Wikipedia.Wikipedia