supernatant en · ADJ
Pronunciation
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Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *úp Proto-Indo-European *-er Proto-Indo-European *upér Proto-Italic *super Latin super Latin super-lbor. English super- English natant English supernatant From super- + natant.
Meanings
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(not-comparable, of a liquid) Lying or floating above a denser fluid, or above a solid sediment or precipitate (which has been separated by crystallisation, centrifugation etc.).
There may be a place at some certain latitude between the poles and the line on each side the equator, where the inflammable supernatant atmosphere may end, owing to the greater centrifugal force of the heavier aerial atmosphere.
1791, Erasmus Darwin, The Economy of Vegetation, J. Johnson, page 11:
Antonyms
Deriveds
ultrasupernatant · cryosupernatant
Translations (6)
pt sobrenadante (floating on the surface of a liquid) · it galleggiante (floating on the surface of a liquid) · es flotante (floating on the surface of a liquid) · es sobrenadante (floating on the surface of a liquid) · pt flutuando (floating on the surface of a liquid) · fr surnageant (floating on the surface of a liquid)