Meaning & use
microculture
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Meanings
nouncountablebiologytechnical
A small, specialized group of organisms grown in a laboratory for study.
Grammar: Countable; use 'a microculture' or 'microcultures' for more than one.
Patterns
- a microculture of something
- grow a microculture
- study a microculture
The researchers grew a microculture of bacteria to test the new antibiotic.
Each microculture was kept at a constant temperature for 48 hours.
They compared the microcultures from healthy and diseased tissue.
nouncountablespecialist
A small subgroup within a larger culture, with its own distinct values or customs.
Grammar: Countable; often used in social sciences to contrast with 'macroculture'.
Patterns
- a microculture within something
- belong to a microculture
- study a microculture
The company's design team formed its own microculture with unusual working hours.
Sociologists examined how microcultures develop inside large cities.
Online gaming communities are often described as microcultures.
Word forms
| plural | microcultures |
|---|
Common combinations
- bacterial microculture
- The lab prepared a bacterial microculture for the experiment.
- grow a microculture
- It takes several days to grow a microculture in this medium.
- a microculture of cells
- She studied a microculture of cells under the microscope.
- form a microculture
- The workers quickly formed a microculture with their own slang.
Synonyms and how they differ
- subculture
- Broader and more common; a subculture can be large, while a microculture is typically very small and specialized.
- culture
- General term; 'culture' can mean a whole society's way of life, whereas 'microculture' refers to a small part of it.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: microculture or micro-culture?
microculture vs micro-culture
The hyphenated form is sometimes seen but is less standard; the single word 'microculture' is preferred in scientific writing.
Practice
The scientists placed a small sample of cells in a dish to create a ______ for observation.
Choose one answer.
'Microculture' fits because it means a small laboratory culture of organisms. 'Macroculture' is the opposite (a large-scale culture), 'microcosm' means a small world representing a larger one, and 'microchip' is an electronic component.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “microculture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.