Definition of "aliquot" in English

adjective

1. Contained in the whole an integral number of times, a factor or divisor.

   • 1794, George Adams (Jr), Lectures on Natural and Experimental Philosophy, Considered in its Present State of Improvement. Describing, in a Familiar and Easy Manner, The Principal Phenomena of Nature, and Shewing, That They All Co-operate in Displaying the Goodness, Wisdom, and Power of God, If, therefore, every aliquot diviſion produced a ſenſible effect by it's vibration, we ſhould hear in every muſical ſtring an infinite variety of chords, diſſonant and conſonant, in ſharp and flat keys at the ſame time.

noun

1. (chemistry, biotechnology, loosely) A portion of a total amount (of some substance or a sample or specimen thereof, usually a solution or suspension).

   • Meronym: subaliquot
   • 1965 December 1, Martha Smith Richmond, Analysis of Uranium Concentrates at the National Bureau of Standards, National Bureau of Standards, NBS Misc. Publ. 260-8, page 26, Two aliquots each of 57 sample solutions and 15 solutions of NBS Standard No. 950a were assayed.

verb

1. (chemistry, biotechnology, transitive, informal) To separate a volume of solution or suspension into aliquots.

   • 1994, Patricia Viola Racenis, Phosphatidate Biosynthesis in the Yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, University of Michigan, page 34, The nuclear pellet was resuspended in homogenizing buffer (about 25 ml), aliquoted into Eppendorf tubes and stored at -80°C.