elute

[ ee-loot, ih-loot ]

verb (used with object)

, Physical Chemistry.

, e·lut·ed, e·lut·ing.

1. to remove by dissolving, as absorbed material from an adsorbent.

elute

/ iːˈluːt; ɪˈluːt /

verb

1. tr to wash out (a substance) by the action of a solvent, as in chromatography

Derived Forms

• eˈlution, noun

Other Words From

• e·lution noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of elute¹

1725–35; < Latin ēlūtus, past participle of ēluere to wash out, equivalent to ē- e- ¹ + -luere, combining form of lavere to wash ( lave ¹ )

Word History and Origins

Origin of elute¹

C18: from Latin ēlūtus rinsed out, from ēluere to wash clean, from luere to wash, lave

Example Sentences

Then weeping overpowered her and she threw down the elute and ceased singing; whereat the folks were troubled and I slipped down a-swoon.

From Project Gutenberg

More About Elute

What does elute mean?

To elute is to remove by dissolving, such as with a substance that has been absorbed into another substance. 

In the field of physical chemistry and chromatography, substances are normally eluted in order to purify another substance or isolate a specific substance from another for independent use. For example, to separate antibodies from red blood cells, a scientist would heat the combined substance in a saline solution. Separating out the antibodies would allow the scientist to study the antibodies more closely.

Elution is the process of eluting, and the eluent is the solution you would use to elute your substance.

Example: To understand why Madison was so sick, her doctor ordered a test that would elute antibodies from a sample of her blood.

Where does elute come from?

The first records of the term elute come from around the 1720s. It comes from the Latin ēluere, meaning “to wash out.”

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What are some other forms related to elute?

• elution (noun)

What are some words that share a root or word element with elute? 

• elutriate
• elutriator
• eluent

What are some words that often get used in discussing elute?

• acid
• chemistry
• protein
• solvent

How is elute used in real life?

Elute is almost always used to refer to removing something by dissolving it in a solution.

When you elute your prep plate with toluene. pic.twitter.com/EuAxVunnBR

— Shenvi Lab (@Shenvi_Lab) October 29, 2021

Somehow I missed the FDA approving the first drug eluting contacts last month. They elute ketotifen for allergic conjunctivitis. How cool is that?

— Blitzy ⚡️🩺🏴‍☠️ (@Blitz_y) April 4, 2022

12 hours of purifying protein is worth it when you finally elute and the cool GFP tag makes it debut pic.twitter.com/ympNleoT00

— Annie Doyle (@Anaerobe_annie) March 5, 2021

Try using elute!

True or False?

To elute is to absorb one substance into another.