SST
Abbreviation with 5 meanings
| Stands for | Serum separator tube |
|---|---|
| Meanings | 5 |
| Categories | Medical, Units & Measurements, Science & Engineering, Education & Academia |
SST has five meanings. The most common are Serum separator tube (laboratory test) and Total sum of squares (statistics); it can also stand for Sea surface temperature, Samoa Standard Time and Student study team.
Meanings of SST at a glance
| # | SST stands for | Context |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Serum separator tube | Medical › Laboratory Test |
| 2 | Total sum of squares | Units & Measurements › Statistics |
| 3 | Sea surface temperature | Science & Engineering › Environmental |
| 4 | Samoa Standard Time | Units & Measurements › Time Zone |
| 5 | Student study team | Education & Academia › K-12 Education |
1. Serum separator tube
Medical · Laboratory Test Abbreviations
Blood collection tube, typically with a gold or red-and-gray "tiger" top, containing a clot activator and a gel that forms a barrier between serum and cells after centrifugation. It is the workhorse tube for chemistry panels, liver and thyroid tests and many serology tests.
Example: Draw one SST and one lavender; the SST must clot 30 minutes before spinning.
Gel can absorb some drugs, so certain therapeutic drug levels require a plain red-top tube without gel. Serum must be separated within a set time, because potassium and glucose shift if cells sit against serum. In earth science, SST more often means sea surface temperature.
2. Total sum of squares
Units & Measurements · Statistics Abbreviations
The total variation in an outcome: the sum of squared deviations of each observation from the overall mean. Regression and ANOVA split it into explained and unexplained parts.
Example: SST equals 1,000, of which the model explains 760.
SST divided by n − 1 is the sample variance of the outcome. The decomposition of total variation into explained and residual parts is the basis of R² and the F-test. Some textbooks write TSS or SSTO instead.
3. Sea surface temperature
Science & Engineering · Environmental Abbreviations
Temperature of the ocean's upper layer, measured by satellites, buoys, ships and floats. SST drives weather and climate: hurricanes typically need waters of at least about 26.5 °C, and unusual warmth can bleach coral reefs and shift fisheries.
Example: Record SST in the North Atlantic in 2023 alarmed forecasters ahead of hurricane season.
Global average SST reached record highs in 2023 and 2024, contributing to a worldwide coral bleaching event. Marine heat waves, periods of exceptionally high SST, have become more frequent and intense. Historical SST records rely on ship measurements dating back to the mid-19th century.
4. Samoa Standard Time
Units & Measurements · Time Zone Abbreviations
Time in American Samoa and Midway Atoll, eleven hours behind UTC, among the last places on Earth to see each day end. Neighboring independent Samoa sits on the other side of the date line at UTC+13, a full day ahead.
Example: Office hours in Pago Pago: 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. SST, Monday to Friday.
American Samoa and Samoa are only about 130 km apart but 24 hours apart on the clock; Samoa moved from UTC−11 to UTC+13 at the end of 2011 to align with trading partners Australia and New Zealand, and it abolished daylight saving in 2021. SST is also used informally for Singapore time, more commonly written SGT.
5. Student study team
Education & Academia · K-12 Education Abbreviations
General education problem-solving team, common in California, that meets with teachers and families to plan interventions for a struggling student before or instead of a special education referral. Some schools call it a student success team.
Example: The SST recommended a reading intervention and a check-in with the counselor for six weeks.
SST meetings are part of tiered support systems such as RTI and MTSS. Parents may still request a special education evaluation at any time, and an SST cannot be used to delay one. Members usually include a teacher, administrator, counselor and parents.
Related abbreviations
More laboratory test abbreviations
- SG – Specific gravity
- SGOT – Serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase
- SGPT – Serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase
- SPEP – Serum protein electrophoresis
- T&C – Type and crossmatch
- T&S – Type and screen
- TAT – Turnaround time
- TBili – Total bilirubin
See all 135 laboratory test abbreviations →
More statistics abbreviations
- SRS – Simple random sample
- SS – Sum of squares
- SSE – Sum of squared errors
- SSR – Sum of squares due to regression
- STDEV – Standard deviation (spreadsheet function)
- t – t-statistic
- TPR – True positive rate
- Var – Variance
See all 88 statistics abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not medical advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.