petri dish

/ˈpitri ˌdɪʃ/

A petri dish is a round container made of glass or plastic that scientists use to study cells and microorganisms.

If you take a biology class, you may get to use a petri dish to study cells up close. These shallow dishes are the ideal place to isolate microorganisms from anything that might contaminate them. Using a microscope, you can watch bacteria grow in a Petri dish that's been lined with agar, a substance it likes to feed on. German bacteriologist Julius Petri invented this useful laboratory tool in 1887.

Definitions of petri dish

1. noun

   a shallow dish used to culture bacteria
   synonyms: Petri dish

   type of:

   dish

   a piece of dishware normally used as a container for holding or serving food