noun
substrate
SUB-strayt/ˈsʌbstreɪt/
An underlying material or system that supports something else.
The rough stone provides a substrate for the moss growing above it.
Etymology
The pieces give the image of something “spread underneath.” A substrate is thus an underlying layer or material, providing the surface on which something else rests or grows.
In context
spreads into a substrate, whether it's a rotting log or the soil, and looks for things to eat.
More examples
- Paint adheres better to a clean, smooth substrate.
- The moss grows on a substrate of damp bark.
- The operating system provides a substrate for other software.
Forms
substrate · substrates
Similar words
- base
- A broader term for a supporting bottom or starting point.
- foundation
- Emphasizes structural stability or the basis for further development.
- backing
- Usually supports or reinforces something from behind rather than beneath.