Petri

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈpiːtɹi/

Definitions

1. A specialized dish, typically made of glass or plastic, that serves to culture various microorganisms and observe their growth
2. An instrument utilized in scientific laboratories for the purpose of cultivating and studying microorganisms like bacteria and fungi
3. A shallow, flat container often crafted from glass or plastic, used in scientific settings for the culture and examination of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi

Etymology: The shortened form "petri" is simply a clipping of "petri dish," so its history is that of the longer phrase. The key figure is Julius Richard Petri, a German bacteriologist working in the laboratory of Robert Koch in Berlin. In the early 1880s, Koch's lab was growing bacteria on flat glass plates, which kept getting contaminated and made it hard to isolate individual colonies. Petri devised a shallow, lidded dish that sat over the plate and kept airborne germs out while still letting the culture be examined. Petri's name became attached to the container, and the phrase "petri dish" was used in English-language scientific writing from the early twentieth century. Over time the full phrase was shortened to "petri," which laboratory staff and students now use in everyday speech.