Gram's method: Meaning and Definition of

Gram's' meth'od

Pronunciation: (gramz), [key]
— (sometimes l.c.)
  1. a method of staining and distinguishing bacteria, in which a fixed bacterial smear is stained with crystal violet, treated with Gram's solution, decolorized with alcohol, counterstained with safranine, and washed with water. Cf. Gram-negative, Gram-positive.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.