subculture
SUB-kul-cher
Subculture (noun) means a group inside a larger culture that has its own habits, values or style and often stands apart from the mainstream. Example: “Skateboarding grew into a subculture with its own clothing and slang.”
noun
1
A group inside a larger culture that has its own habits, values or style and often stands apart from the mainstream.
"Skateboarding grew into a subculture with its own clothing and slang."
"Sociologists study how a subculture forms around a style of music."
"She wrote her thesis on an online gaming subculture."
2
technical A culture of microorganisms made by transferring some of an earlier culture to fresh growth medium.
"The technician prepared a subculture from the original sample."
"Each subculture was kept in its own dish."
"A new subculture showed fresh growth after two days."
verb
1
technical To move microorganisms into fresh nutrient material so that a new culture can grow.
"The students subculture the bacteria every week."
"We subcultured the cells when they filled the dish."
"She subcultured the sample onto a fresh plate."
Examples of subculture in a sentence →
How to use subculture
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA smaller group with its own customs inside a bigger culture.
When to use it
The social sense is common in general writing, while the biology senses belong to lab settings.
Common pairings
youth subculture
music subculture
online subculture
a thriving subculture
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Skateboarding grew into a _____ with its own clothing and slang.
Etymology
Subculture was formed in English from the prefix sub- and the word culture.
Rhymes for subculture
See all rhymes for subculture →Frequently asked questions
What is a subculture?
A subculture is a group inside a larger culture that has its own habits, values or style and often stands apart from the mainstream.
What does subculture mean in biology?
In biology, a subculture is a culture started by moving microorganisms from an earlier culture into fresh nutrient material. As a verb, it means to do that move.
Is subculture one word?
Yes, subculture is written as one word, with no hyphen or space.
What is the meaning of subculture?
"subculture" (noun) means a group inside a larger culture that has its own habits, values or style and often stands apart from the mainstream.
