agar

See also: Appendix:Variations of "agar"

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /ˈeɪ.ɡə/, /ˈeɪ.ɡɑː/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /ˈɑˌɡɑɹ/, /ˈæ.ɡəɹ/, /ˈeɪˌɡɑɹ/

• Audio (Southern England):

  (file)

• Rhymes: -æɡə(ɹ), -ɑːɡə(ɹ), -eɪɡə(ɹ), -eɪɡɑ(ɹ)
• Hyphenation: a‧gar

Etymology 1

Pigmented colonies of Serratia marcescens on nutrient agar (etymology 1 sense 1)

From Malay agar (“jelly”) or agar-agar.

Noun

agar (countable and uncountable, plural agars)

2. A gelatinous substance obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis and as a food additive.
3. A culture medium based on this material.

   Synonyms: agal-agal, agar-agar; E406

   • 2020, Brandon Taylor, Real Life, Daunt Books Originals, page 8:

     An hour before, he had been in lab, removing from the incubator his boxes of agar plates.

Derived terms

• agarase
• agarized
• agarofuran
• agarolytic
• agaropectin
• agarophyte
• agarose
• MacConkey agar
• oligoagar
• phytoagar
• Sabouraud's agar
• trypticase soy agar
• violet red bile agar

Translations

gelatinous substance

• Catalan: agar-agar (ca) m
• Chinese:

  Cantonese: 大菜 (daai⁶ coi³)

  Mandarin: 洋菜 (zh) (yángcài), 瓊脂 / 琼脂 (zh) (qióngzhī)

• Czech: agar m
• Esperanto: gelozo, agaragaro, agaro
• Estonian: agar (et)
• Finnish: agar-agar (fi)
• German: Agar (de) m or n
• Japanese: 寒天 (ja) (kanten)
• Khmer: ចាហួយ (km) (caahuəy)
• Korean: 우무 (umu)
• Malay: agar-agar (ms)
• Māori: piarimu
• Persian: آگار (fa) (âgâr)
• Polish: agar (pl) m, agar-agar (pl) m
• Portuguese: ágar m, ágar-ágar m, agar-agar
• Russian: ага́р-ага́р (ru) m (agár-agár)
• Spanish: agar m, agaragar m
• Thai: วุ้น (th) (wún), อะการ์
• Vietnamese: xu xoa (vi), xu xa, su sa, thạch (vi), rau câu (vi), đông sương (vi) (Central Vietnam)

culture medium

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: agarliuos
• Japanese: 寒天 (ja) (kanten)
• Khmer: អាហ្កា (ʼaagaa)
• Persian: آگار (fa) (âgâr)
• Russian: ага́р (ru) m (agár)
• Vietnamese: thạch (vi), a-ga

Etymology 2

Possibly from Hindi अगर (agar), from Sanskrit अगरु (agaru).

Alternative forms

• aggur

Noun

agar (countable and uncountable, plural agars)

1. agarwood

Translations

agarwood — see agarwood

See also

• agaric
• Agarum

References

• “agar”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• William Dwight Whitney, Benjamin E[li] Smith, editors (1911), “agar”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC.

Anagrams

• raag, Raga, raga, agra, Agra, Gara

Czech

Etymology

Borrowed from Malay agar or agar-agar, both meaning jelly.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈaɡar]

Noun

agar m inan

1. agar (material obtained from the marine algae)

Declension

Declension of agar (hard masculine inanimate)

	singular	plural
nominative	agar	agary
genitive	agaru	agarů
dative	agaru	agarům
accusative	agar	agary
vocative	agare	agary
locative	agaru	agarech
instrumental	agarem	agary

Estonian

Etymology

Of Finnic origin. Cognates include Finnish häkärä (“eagerness to do something; ardent desire, lust”), Karelian häkärä (“lust, lechery”) and Livonian agār (“lively”). See also Finnish häkärä (“mist, fog”) and Finnish ahkera (“hardworking”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑɡ̊ɑr/, [ˈɑɡ̊ɑr]
• Rhymes: -ɑɡɑr
• Hyphenation: a‧gar

Adjective

agar (genitive agara, partitive agarat, comparative agaram, superlative kõige agaram)

1. eager, willing

Declension

Declension of agar (ÕS type 2/õpik, no gradation)
		singular	plural
nominative		agar	agarad
accusative	nom.
	gen.	agara
genitive			agarate
partitive		agarat	agaraid
illative		agarasse	agaratesse agaraisse
inessive		agaras	agarates agarais
elative		agarast	agaratest agaraist
allative		agarale	agaratele agaraile
adessive		agaral	agaratel agarail
ablative		agaralt	agaratelt agarailt
translative		agaraks	agarateks agaraiks
terminative		agarani	agarateni
essive		agarana	agaratena
abessive		agarata	agarateta
comitative		agaraga	agaratega

Derived terms

• agaralt
• agarasti
• agarus

References

• agar in Sõnaveeb (Eesti Keele Instituut)
• “agar”, in [EKSS] Eesti keele seletav sõnaraamat [Descriptive Dictionary of the Estonian Language] (in Estonian) (online version), Tallinn: Eesti Keele Sihtasutus (Estonian Language Foundation), 2009

Finnish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɑɡɑr/, [ˈɑ̝ɡɑ̝r]
• Rhymes: -ɑɡɑr
• Syllabification^(key): a‧gar
• Hyphenation^(key): agar

Noun

agar

1. alternative form of agar-agar

Declension

Inflection of agar (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)
nominative		agar	agarit
genitive		agarin	agarien
partitive		agaria	agareja
illative		agariin	agareihin
		singular	plural
nominative		agar	agarit
accusative	nom.	agar	agarit
	gen.	agarin
genitive		agarin	agarien
partitive		agaria	agareja
inessive		agarissa	agareissa
elative		agarista	agareista
illative		agariin	agareihin
adessive		agarilla	agareilla
ablative		agarilta	agareilta
allative		agarille	agareille
essive		agarina	agareina
translative		agariksi	agareiksi
abessive		agaritta	agareitta
instructive		—	agarein
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of agar (Kotus type 5/risti, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative agarini agarini accusative nom. agarini agarini gen. agarini genitive agarini agarieni partitive agariani agarejani inessive agarissani agareissani elative agaristani agareistani illative agariini agareihini adessive agarillani agareillani ablative agariltani agareiltani allative agarilleni agareilleni essive agarinani agareinani translative agarikseni agareikseni abessive agarittani agareittani instructive — — comitative — agareineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative agarisi agarisi accusative nom. agarisi agarisi gen. agarisi genitive agarisi agariesi partitive agariasi agarejasi inessive agarissasi agareissasi elative agaristasi agareistasi illative agariisi agareihisi adessive agarillasi agareillasi ablative agariltasi agareiltasi allative agarillesi agareillesi essive agarinasi agareinasi translative agariksesi agareiksesi abessive agarittasi agareittasi instructive — — comitative — agareinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative agarimme agarimme accusative nom. agarimme agarimme gen. agarimme genitive agarimme agariemme partitive agariamme agarejamme inessive agarissamme agareissamme elative agaristamme agareistamme illative agariimme agareihimme adessive agarillamme agareillamme ablative agariltamme agareiltamme allative agarillemme agareillemme essive agarinamme agareinamme translative agariksemme agareiksemme abessive agarittamme agareittamme instructive — — comitative — agareinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative agarinne agarinne accusative nom. agarinne agarinne gen. agarinne genitive agarinne agarienne partitive agarianne agarejanne inessive agarissanne agareissanne elative agaristanne agareistanne illative agariinne agareihinne adessive agarillanne agareillanne ablative agariltanne agareiltanne allative agarillenne agareillenne essive agarinanne agareinanne translative agariksenne agareiksenne abessive agarittanne agareittanne instructive — — comitative — agareinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative agarinsa agarinsa accusative nom. agarinsa agarinsa gen. agarinsa genitive agarinsa agariensa partitive agariaan agariansa agarejaan agarejansa inessive agarissaan agarissansa agareissaan agareissansa elative agaristaan agaristansa agareistaan agareistansa illative agariinsa agareihinsa adessive agarillaan agarillansa agareillaan agareillansa ablative agariltaan agariltansa agareiltaan agareiltansa allative agarilleen agarillensa agareilleen agareillensa essive agarinaan agarinansa agareinaan agareinansa translative agarikseen agariksensa agareikseen agareiksensa abessive agarittaan agarittansa agareittaan agareittansa instructive — — comitative — agareineen agareinensa

Derived terms

compounds

• agarliuos

Further reading

• “agar”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[2] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Pronunciation

• Audio (France (Lyon)):

  (file)

Noun

agar m (uncountable)

1. synonym of agar-agar

Further reading

• “agar”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012

Ido

Etymology

Borrowed from Esperanto agi, French agir, German agieren, Italian agire, Spanish agir.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈɡar/

Verb

agar (present agas, past agis, future agos, conditional agus, imperative agez)

1. (transitive, intransitive) to do, act

Conjugation

Conjugation of agar

		present		past		future
infinitive		agar		agir		agor
tense		agas		agis		agos
conditional		agus		—		—
imperative		agez		—		—
adjective active participle		aganta		aginta		agonta
adverbial active participle		agante		aginte		agonte
nominal active participle	singular	aganto		aginto		agonto
	plural	aganti		aginti		agonti
adjective passive participle		agata		agita		agota
adverbial passive participle		agate		agite		agote
nominal passive participle	singular	agato		agito		agoto
	plural	agati		agiti		agoti

Derived terms

• aganta (“active”)
• aganto (“doer”)
• -agar
• agebla (“doable”)
• agema (“active”)
• agemeso (“activity”)
• ageskar (“to begin to act, to come into play”)
• agigar (“to make, cause (someone, something) to do”)
• aginto (“doer”)
• agiva (“active”)
• agiveso (“activity”)
• ago (“acting, deed, action”)
• kontreaganta (“opposing, provoking”)
• kontreagar (“to act contrary or in opposition to (someone, something), to thwart”)
• kontreagema (“opposing, provoking”)
• kontreagemeso (“spirit of contrariety”)
• retroagar (“to retroact”)

See also

• facar (“to make; to do, perform”)
• agendo (“agenda”)
• akto (“act”)

Indonesian

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.ɡar/
• Rhymes: -ɡar
• Hyphenation: a‧gar

Etymology 1

From Malay agar, from Sanskrit अग्र (agra).

Conjunction

agar

1. so that; in order to

   Synonyms: sehingga, supaya

   1. indicates purpose; with the result that
   2. indicates purpose; in such a way that, with the intent that
2. to; in order to (as a means of achieving the specified end)

   Synonym: supaya

Usage notes

• This word with supaya are often used together as "agar supaya" to mean "in order to".

Etymology 2

Noun

agar (colloquial)

1. ellipsis of agar-agar

Further reading

• “agar”, in Kamus Besar Bahasa Indonesia [Great Dictionary of the Indonesian Language] (in Indonesian), Jakarta: Agency for Language Development and Cultivation – Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology of the Republic of Indonesia, 2016

Irish

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English agar, from Malay.

Noun

agar m (genitive singular agair, nominative plural agair)

1. agar

Declension

Declension of agar (first declension)

bare forms singular plural nominative agar agair vocative a agair a agara genitive agair agar dative agar agair forms with the definite article singular plural nominative an t-agar na hagair genitive an agair na n-agar dative leis an agar don agar leis na hagair

Etymology 2

Noun

agar m

1. alternative form of agairt (“plea; vengeance, retribution”)

Mutation

Mutated forms of agar

radical	eclipsis	with h-prothesis	with t-prothesis
agar	n-agar	hagar	t-agar

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in standard Modern Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Further reading

• Ó Dónaill, Niall (1977), “agar”, in Foclóir Gaeilge–Béarla, Dublin: An Gúm, →ISBN

Kalasha

Noun

agar

1. rest day

Latin

Verb

agar

1. first-person singular future passive indicative of agō
   1. "I shall be done, I shall be made"
   2. "I shall be accomplished, I shall be managed, I shall be achieved"
   3. "I shall be performed, I shall be transacted"
   4. "I shall be driven, I shall be conducted"
   5. "I shall be pushed, I shall be moved, I shall be impelled"
   6. "I shall be guided, I shall be governed, I shall be administered"
   7. "I shall be discussed, I shall be pleaded, I shall be deliberated"
   8. "I shall be thought upon"
   9. "I shall be stirred up, I shall be excited, I shall be caused, I shall be induced"
   10. "I shall be chased, I shall be pursued"
   11. (of a course of action) "I shall be driven, I shall be pursued"
   12. "I shall be robbed, I shall be stolen, I shall be plundered, I shall be carried off"
   13. (of time) "I shall be passed, I shall be spent"
   14. (of offerings) "I shall be slain, I shall be killed (as a sacrifice)"
   15. (of plants) "I shall be put forth, I shall be sprouted, I shall be extended"
2. first-person singular present passive subjunctive of agō
   1. "may I be done, may I be made"
   2. "may I be accomplished, may I be managed, may I be achieved"
   3. "may I be performed, may I be transacted"
   4. "may I be driven, may I be conducted"
   5. "may I be pushed, may I be moved, may I be impelled"
   6. "may I be guided, may I be governed, may I be administered"
   7. "may I be discussed, may I be pleaded, may I be deliberated"
   8. "may I be thought upon"
   9. "may I be stirred up, may I be excited, may I be caused, may I be induced"
   10. "may I be chased, may I be pursued"
   11. (of a course of action) "may I be driven, may I be pursued"
   12. "may I be robbed, may I be stolen, may I be plundered, may I be carried off"
   13. (of time) "may I be passed, may I be spent"
   14. (of offerings) "may I be slain, may I be killed (as a sacrifice)"
   15. (of plants) "may I be put forth, may I be sprouted, may I be extended"

Malay

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aɡa(r)/
• Rhymes: -aɡa(r), -ɡa(r), -a(r)
• Rhymes: -ar

Etymology 1

Borrowing from Sanskrit अग्र (agra).

Conjunction

agar (Jawi spelling اݢر)

1. so that (in order to)

Synonyms

• supaya / سوڤايا

Descendants

• Indonesian: agar

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

agar (Jawi spelling اݢر, plural agar-agar or agar²)

1. agar (a material obtained from the marine algae), agar-agar
2. agar (chemistry)

Derived terms

• agar-agar

Descendants

• Indonesian: agar
• → Czech: agar
• → English: agar
• → Spanish: agar

Old Irish

Verb

·agar

1. passive singular present indicative of aigid

Verb

agar

1. inflection of aigid:
   1. passive singular present indicative relative
   2. passive singular imperative

Mutation

Mutation of agar

radical	lenition	nasalization
agar (pronounced with /h/ in h-prothesis environments)	agar	n-agar

Note: Certain mutated forms of some words can never occur in Old Irish.
All possible mutated forms are displayed for convenience.

Old Norse

Verb

agar

1. second/third-person singular present active indicative of aga

Polish

agar etymology 1 sense 1

agar etymology 2 sense 1

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈa.ɡar/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -aɡar
• Syllabification: a‧gar

Etymology 1

Borrowed from Malay agar. First attested in 1890.

Noun

agar m inan (indeclinable, related adjective agarowy)

2. agar, agar-agar (gelatinous material obtained from red algae, especially Gracilaria species, used as a bacterial culture medium, in electrophoresis, and as a food additive)

   Synonym: agar-agar

3. agar, agar-agar (type of red algae)

   Synonym: agar-agar

Declension

Declension of agar

	singular
nominative	agar
genitive	agaru
dative	agarowi
accusative	agar
instrumental	agarem
locative	agarze
vocative	agarze

or

Indeclinable.

Related terms

nouns

• agar-agar

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

agar m inan

2. agar, agarwood, agalloch, oud (heartwood from trees of the genus Aquilaria, especially Aquilaria malaccensis, infected with mold (Phialophora parasitica), which produces an aromatic resin in response to this infestation)

Declension

Declension of agar

	singular
nominative	agar
genitive	agaru
dative	agarowi
accusative	agar
instrumental	agarem
locative	agarze
vocative	agarze

Further reading

• agar in Wielki słownik języka polskiego, Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• agar in Polish dictionaries at PWN
• agar in PWN's encyclopedia

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈɡaɾ/ [aˈɣ̞aɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: a‧gar

Noun

agar m (plural agares)

1. alternative form of agar-agar

Further reading

• “agar”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025

Swedish

Noun

agar

1. indefinite plural of ag

Verb

agar

1. present indicative of aga

Anagrams

• arga

Tagalog

Pronunciation

• (Standard Tagalog) IPA^(key): /ʔaˈɡaɾ/ [ʔɐˈɣaɾ]
• Rhymes: -aɾ
• Syllabification: a‧gar

Adverb

agár (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜄᜇ᜔) (dialectal, Batangas, Rizal, informal)

1. alternative form of agad

Adjective

agár (Baybayin spelling ᜀᜄᜇ᜔) (dialectal, Batangas, Rizal, informal)

1. alternative form of agad

Uzbek

Other scripts

Arabic (Yangi Imlo)	ئەگەر
Cyrillic	агар‍
Latin	agar‍
Afghan Uzbek	اگر

Etymology

Borrowed from Classical Persian اگر (agar).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /aˈɡar/, [ɐˈɡ˖ær]

Conjunction

agar

1. if (supposing that)