Definition

1. Noun:
   • A cylindrical glass container with a rounded closed bottom and an open top, used in scientific laboratories: A "test tube" is a piece of laboratory equipment designed to hold, mix, or heat small quantities of liquid or solid chemicals.

Usage

• The primary function of a test tube is to serve as a reaction vessel in chemical and biological experiments.
• It is a fundamental tool for observation, heating, and culturing samples.

Examples

• Noun:
  • The scientist carefully poured the blue solution into the test tube.
  • We heated the test tube over a Bunsen burner to observe the reaction.
  • The lab assistant placed the test tubes in a rack to dry.

Advanced Usage

• "Test tube baby": A colloquial term for a child conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF), where fertilization occurs in a laboratory dish or test tube.
  • The development of test tube baby technology was a major medical breakthrough.

Variants and Related Words

• Test tube rack (n): A stand used to hold multiple test tubes upright.
  • He organized the samples in a test tube rack.
• Test tube brush (n): A brush with bristles designed to clean the inside of a test tube.
  • Always clean your glassware with a test tube brush after use.

Synonyms

• Culture tube: Often used specifically for tubes used in biological culturing.
• Sample tube: A more general term for a tube holding a specimen.

Related Phrases

• In a test tube: Describing a process or reaction that occurs under controlled laboratory conditions.
  • The experiment was recreated in a test tube to verify the results.

Noun

1. glass tube closed at one end