Acid-Fast

B2 16+
Pronunciation Definitions Examples Grammatical Forms Origin and Evolution

Pronunciation: /ˈæsɪd-ˌfæst/

Definitions of acid-fast

adjective describing a type of bacteria that retains a specific stain even after being treated with an acid solution

Example Sentences

A1 The acid-fast bacteria stained pink under the microscope.

A2 The acid-fast stain is commonly used to identify certain types of bacteria.

B1 The acid-fast test confirmed the presence of tuberculosis in the patient.

B2 The acid-fast bacilli were resistant to the usual antibiotics.

C1 The acid-fast staining technique is essential for diagnosing certain infections.

C2 The acid-fast organisms were difficult to culture in the lab.

Examples of acid-fast in a Sentence

formal The acid-fast staining technique is commonly used in microbiology to identify bacteria that resist decolorization by acid-alcohol.

informal Doctors use acid-fast tests to check for certain types of bacteria that can cause infections.

slang I heard the lab techs are running some acid-fast tests on those samples.

figurative Her determination was like an acid-fast stain, impossible to wash away or dilute.

Grammatical Forms of acid-fast

past tense

acid-fastened

plural

acid-fasts

comparative

more acid-fast

superlative

most acid-fast

present tense

acid-fast

future tense

will be acid-fast

perfect tense

has been acid-fast

continuous tense

is being acid-fast

singular

acid-fast

positive degree

acid-fast

infinitive

to acid-fast

gerund

acid-fasting

participle

acid-fastening

Origin and Evolution of acid-fast

First Known Use: 1882 year
Language of Origin: English
Story behind the word: The term 'acid-fast' originated from the observation of bacteria retaining a specific stain when treated with acid during the staining process.
Evolution of the word: Originally used in microbiology to describe bacteria that resist decolorization by acid alcohol after staining with certain dyes, the term 'acid-fast' has since been adopted in various fields to refer to substances or materials that exhibit similar resistance to acid treatment.