counterstain

C3O1U1N1T1E1R1S1T1A1I1N1

noun

A stain contrasting with the principal stain in color, thus making the stained structure easier to see

OriginEnglish stain ← Middle English counter- ← Anglo-Norman countre- →
Scrabble 14
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Meanings

nouncounterstain (plural counterstains)

plural counterstains

  1. microscopyA stain contrasting with the principal stain in color, thus making the stained structure easier to see
verbcounterstain (third-person singular simple present counterstains, present participle counterstaining, simple past and past participle counterstained)

present singular third person counterstains · participle present counterstaining · participle past counterstained · past counterstained

  1. microscopyTo stain with a counterstain

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*ḱe?
  2. Proto-Indo-European*ḱóm
  3. Proto-Italic*kom
  4. Proto-Italic*kom-
  5. Proto-Italic*komteros
  6. Proto-Italic*komterād
  7. Latincontrā
  8. Old Frenchcontre-
  9. Anglo-Normancountre-
  10. Middle Englishcounter-
  11. Englishcounter-
  12. Englishstain
  13. Englishcounterstain

From counter- + stain.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

counterstain. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterstain

MLA

“counterstain.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterstain. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “counterstain,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/counterstain.

Source: counterstain on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.