1. secondary stains used in microscopy to provide contrast to primary stains
Usage: scientific; microscopy

1. applies a secondary stain to provide contrast in microscopic specimens
Usage: scientific; microscopy

Examples

• The lab technician applied counterstains to make the bacteria more visible.
• Methylene blue serves as one of the most common counterstains in gram staining.
• The pathologist counterstains the tissue samples for better cellular definition.
• Without proper counterstains, the microscopic structures would be difficult to distinguish.
• She counterstains each slide according to the standard protocol.
• The counterstains helped reveal the cellular boundaries in the specimen.