Definition

Noun: A microscope slide is a small, flat, rectangular piece of glass (or sometimes plastic) designed to hold a specimen for examination under a microscope. It provides a stable, transparent platform that allows light to pass through the specimen for detailed observation.

Usage

The term microscope slide is used to refer to the physical object that holds the sample. It is a standard piece of laboratory equipment in biology, medicine, and materials science. - The specimen is typically placed on the slide, often with a drop of liquid or a thin slice, and may be covered with a smaller, thinner piece of glass called a coverslip.

Examples

Advanced Usage

• "to mount a specimen on a microscope slide": This phrase describes the process of preparing and securing a sample on the slide for study.
  • The first step is to mount the specimen on a microscope slide using a mounting medium.

Variants and Related Words

• Slide (noun): A common shortened form of "microscope slide" in laboratory contexts.
  • Please hand me a clean slide and a coverslip.
• Coverslip (noun): A thin, smaller piece of glass or plastic placed over the specimen on a microscope slide to flatten it and protect the microscope's objective lens.
• Mounting medium (noun): A substance used to secure a specimen on a microscope slide.

Synonyms

• Glass slide: Emphasizes the material.
• Specimen slide: Emphasizes the slide's function of holding a specimen.

Related Phrases

• "to view under a microscope": While not a phrasal verb with "slide," this is the primary action performed using a microscope slide.
  • After preparation, the microscope slide was viewed under a microscope.

Noun

1. a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study