A thin, small square of glass placed over a specimen on a microscope slide to protect it and enable better viewing.
From 'cover' (Old French 'covrir') plus 'slip,' which originally meant a small piece or cutting. The term emerged with microscopy in the 17th century.
Coverslips seem tiny and insignificant, but they're crucial to microscopy—without them, your specimen would smudge, dry out, or contaminate the lens. Sometimes the most important innovations are the simplest ones!
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