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Subculture vs Cult - What's the difference?

subculture | cult |

As nouns the difference between subculture and cult

is that subculture is a portion of a culture distinguished by its customs or other features while cult is a group of people with a religious, philosophical or cultural identity sometimes viewed as a sect, often existing on the margins of society or exploitative towards its members.

As a verb subculture

is to transfer (microorganisms) to a fresh growth medium in order to start a new culture.

As an adjective cult is

of, or relating to a cult.

subculture

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • A portion of a culture distinguished by its customs or other features.
    • The goth subculture has its own mode of dress, and it has a characteristic musical style.
  • * 1974 , Charles Gaines & George Butler, Pumping Iron: The Art and Sport of Bodybuilding , page 7.
    • Like those activities, bodybuilding is an obsession, a living (for a few), and a way of life for the people involved in it—a subculture , in a word, with its own values, aesthetics and vocabulary.
  • (biology) A culture made by transferring microorganisms from a previous culture to a fresh growth medium

    • Verb

    (subcultur)
  • (biology) To transfer (microorganisms) to a fresh growth medium in order to start a new culture
  • * {{quote-book, 1990, Heidi F. Kaeppler et al., Silicon carbide fiber-mediated DNA delivery into plant cells, Plant Cell Reports citation
    • , passage=Cultures were subcultured by 20-fold dilution into fresh MS2D medium approximately every 7 d. }}

    See also

    * (wikipedia "subculture") ----

    cult

    English

    (wikipedia cult)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A group of people with a religious, philosophical or cultural identity sometimes viewed as a sect, often existing on the margins of society or exploitative towards its members.
  • *
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  • Devotion to a saint.
  • (lb) A group of people having an obsession with or intense admiration for a particular activity, idea, person or thing.

    • Derived terms

    * cargo cult * cultic * cultist

    See also

    * sect

    Adjective

    (-)
  • Of, or relating to a cult.
  • Enjoyed by a small, loyal group.
    • a cult horror movie

    Usage notes

    The term has a positive connotation for groups of art, music, writing, fiction, and fashion devotees, but a negative connotation for new religious, extreme political, questionable therapeutic, and pyramidal business groups.

    Anagrams

    * (l) ----