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acid-fast

[ as-id-fast, -fahst ]

adjective

  1. resistant to decolorizing by acidified alcohol after staining.


acid-fast

adjective

  1. (of bacteria and tissues) resistant to decolorization by mineral acids after staining
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Other Words From

  • acid-fastness noun
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Word History and Origins

Origin of acid-fast1

First recorded in 1900–05
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Example Sentences

There are a number of bacilli, called acid-fast bacilli, which stain in the same way as the tubercle bacillus.

This method is supposed to differentiate between B. tuberculosis and other acid-fast micro-organisms.

Stains non-acid-fast bacilli, leucocytes, epithelial cells, etc.

Other bacteria than the acid-fast group are stained blue by Gabbet's method.

The acid-fast bacteria are particularly rich in fatty substances, especially the higher wax-like fats.

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acid dyeacid-forming