substrate

 
Pronunciation: /ˈsʌbstreɪt/

noun

  • an underlying substance or layer.
  • the surface or material on or from which an organism lives, grows, or obtains its nourishment: brachiopods attached to the substrate by a stalk
  • the substance on which an enzyme acts.
  • a material which provides the surface on which something is deposited or inscribed, for example the silicon wafer used to manufacture integrated circuits: optical disk substrates

Origin:

early 19th century: anglicized form of substratum