Petri dish gelatin

Editorially verified for the Oct 19, 2026

63 Across

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A Petri dish containing solid agar growth medium.

Clue explained

Agar is the jellylike substance used to make many Petri-dish growth media solid. It comes from certain seaweeds and is useful in labs because it provides a firm surface for microorganisms to grow on without being easily consumed by them. The clue’s “gelatin” is a description of its texture, not the animal-derived ingredient used in desserts.

Clue type:
Definition

WaPo Crossword

This clue's Monday, October 19, 2026 appearance

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The answer to “Petri dish gelatin” in the The Washington Post crossword is AGAR — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 19, 2026, a Monday puzzle, at 63-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Petri dish gelatin” answer

AGAR (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is AGAR.

What does AGAR mean?

Reading the plain dictionary sense of AGAR is often the fastest way to see why it answers this clue.

(noun)

  • a gelatinous substance obtained from certain red seaweeds and used in biological culture media and as a thickener in foods

When else has “Petri dish gelatin” appeared?

The Washington Post reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 19, 2026 (most recent) → AGAR. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Petri dish gelatin”?

The answer is AGAR, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Washington Post crossword on October 19, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Petri dish gelatin”?

4 letters: AGAR.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Washington Post crossword on October 19, 2026 (a Monday puzzle), at 63-Across.

Can “Petri dish gelatin” have a different answer?

Yes — The Washington Post sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's WaPo Crossword answers?

The full grid for October 19, 2026 is on the WaPo Crossword answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

The Washington Post Crossword is published by The Washington Post; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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