substrate

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

substrate
    n 1: the substance that is acted upon by an enzyme or ferment
    2: a surface on which an organism grows or is attached; "the
       gardener talked about the proper substrate for acid-loving
       plants" [syn: {substrate}, {substratum}]
    3: any stratum or layer lying underneath another [syn:
       {substrate}, {substratum}]
    4: an indigenous language that contributes features to the
       language of an invading people who impose their language on
       the indigenous population; "the Celtic languages of Britain
       are a substrate for English" [syn: {substrate}, {substratum}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Substrate \Sub"strate\, n.
   A substratum. [R.]
   [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Substrate \Sub"strate\, a.
   Having very slight furrows. [R.]
   [1913 Webster]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Substrate \Sub*strate"\, v. t. [L. substratus, p. p. of
   substrahere. See {Substratum}.]
   To strew or lay under anything. [Obs.]
   [1913 Webster]

         The melted glass being supported by the substrated
         sand.                                    --Boyle.
   [1913 Webster]

from The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (8 July 2008)

substrate

   <hardware> The body or base layer of an {integrated circuit},
   onto which other layers are deposited to form the circuit.
   The substrate is usually Silicon, though Sapphire is used for
   certain applications, particularly military, where radiation
   resistance is important.  The substrate is originally part of
   the {wafer} from which the {die} is cut.  It is used as the
   electrical {ground} for the circuit.

   (1996-04-07)