English Explanatory Dictionary

bacteria

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. plural of bacterium
noun
  1. A type, species, or strain of bacterium.
  2. Alternative form of bacterium.
  3. Lowlife, slob (could be treated as plural or singular).
noun
  1. An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus.

Pronunciation

/bakˈtɪə̯.ri.ə/ /bækˈtɪɹ.i.ə/ en-us-bacteria.ogg

Word forms

bacteria bacterias bacteriae

Etymology

Etymology tree Ancient Greek βᾰκτηρῐ́ᾱ (băktērĭ́ā) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ῐον (-ĭon) Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion)bor. New Latin bactēriabor. English bacteria Borrowed from New Latin bacteria, plural of bactērium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion, “little rod”).

Related words

culture

Derived words

Archaebacteria Archebacteria Bacteria bacterialess bacterin bacteriosis bacteriuria bacterivore bacterize Eubacteria green non-sulfur bacteria green sulfur bacteria pseudobacteria purple bacteria slime bacteria spherobacteria
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