counterstainn.
An additional dye of different colour or sensitivity used in a microscopy specimen to produce a contrasting background to the parts of interest or to make clearer the distinction between different kinds of structure, tissue, etc.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > laboratory analysis > material > [noun] > staining material
osmium tetroxide1869
picrocarmine1872
rose bengal1878
stain1880
erythrosin1884
Gram stain1884
vesuvin1885
Nile blue1888
pyronin1895
Janus green1898
counterstain1899
Nissl stain1899
Leishman stain1904
trypan blue1911
quinacrine mustard1957
1899 G. Newman Bacteria 341 A pure culture of bacteria will not necessarily require the counter-stain (methylene-blue).
1901 W. A. N. Dorland Med. Dict. (ed. 2) Counter-stain, a stain applied to render the effects of another stain more discernible.
1951 L. E. H. Whitby & M. Hynes Med. Bacteriol. (ed. 5) v. 34 Gram-negative organisms..have to be shown up by a contrast counterstain.
1970 B. D. Disbrey & J. H. Rack Histol. Lab. Methods vii. 79 Occasionally..the counterstain is used before the specific stain.
Derivatives
counterstain v. transitive (frequently absol.) to treat with a counterstain; to stain (a tissue or specimen) with a contrasting colour.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > laboratory analysis > processes > [verb (transitive)] > using stains or dyes
overstain1883
plate1892
counterstain1895
osmicate1905
polychrome1924
prime1943
sham-operate1963
tissue-type1968
perifuse1969
1895 A. A. Kanthack & J. H. Drysdale Elem. Pract. Bacteriol. 28 Stain a film according to Gram's method... Counterstain with eosine.
1951 L. E. H. Whitby & M. Hynes Med. Bacteriol. (ed. 5) v. 35 After counter~staining dehydrate quickly in methylated spirit and then alcohol.
1951 L. E. H. Whitby & M. Hynes Med. Bacteriol. (ed. 5) v. 35 Counterstain films from cultures with weak carbol-fuchsin.
ˈcounterˌstaining n.
ΘΚΠ
the world > life > biology > laboratory analysis > processes > [noun] > using stains or dyes
overstaining1880
Gram stain1884
Nissl method1895
osmication1899
counterstaining1901
cytophotometry1952
polychroming1958
immunofluorescence1960
1901 Jrnl. Exper. Med. 5 559 Rehm counter-staining with a solution of carmine..stained the centre of the nucleolus red, while leaving a peripheral rim of blue.
1970 B. D. Disbrey & J. H. Rack Histol. Lab. Methods vii. 78 The counterstaining solution should not itself remove any of the specific stain.
This entry has not yet been fully updated (first published 1972; most recently modified version published online June 2019).
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n.1895