bacteria

[ bak-teer-ee-uh ]
See synonyms for bacteria on Thesaurus.com
plural noun,singular bac·te·ri·um [bak-teer-ee-uhm]. /bækˈtɪər i əm/. Microbiology.
  1. ubiquitous one-celled organisms, spherical, spiral, or rod-shaped and appearing singly or in chains, comprising numerous and variously classified phyla: among the inestimable number of species are those involved in fermentation, putrefaction, infectious diseases, and nitrogen fixation.

Origin of bacteria

1
First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin, from Greek baktḗria, plural of baktḗrion, diminutive of baktēría “staff, cane”; see origin at bacterium

Other words from bacteria

  • bac·te·ri·al, adjective
  • bac·te·ri·al·ly, adverb
  • non·bac·te·ri·al, adjective
  • non·bac·te·ri·al·ly, adverb

Words Nearby bacteria

Other definitions for Bacteria (2 of 2)

Bacteria
[ bak-teer-ee-uh ]

noun(used with a singular or plural verb)Microbiology.
  1. (in the three-domain system of classification) the taxonomic domain comprising the bacteria.

Origin of Bacteria

2
First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin; see origin at bacteria

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use bacteria in a sentence

  • bacteria, when present in great numbers, give a uniform cloud which cannot be removed by ordinary filtration.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • It is to be remembered, however, that a few of these bacteria may reach the sputum from the upper air-passages.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • bacteria of various kinds, especially staphylococci, are usually numerous.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • They are able to migrate readily from place to place and to ingest small bodies, as bacteria.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd
  • Undiluted normal blood can agglutinate most bacteria, but loses this power when diluted to any considerable degree.

    A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for bacteria

bacteria

/ (bækˈtɪərɪə) /


pl nsingular -rium (-rɪəm)
  1. a very large group of microorganisms comprising one of the three domains of living organisms. They are prokaryotic, unicellular, and either free-living in soil or water or parasites of plants or animals: See also prokaryote

Origin of bacteria

1
C19: plural of New Latin bacterium, from Greek baktērion, literally: a little stick, from baktron rod, staff

Derived forms of bacteria

  • bacterial, adjective
  • bacterially, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for bacteria

bacteria

[ băk-tîrē-ə ]


The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Cultural definitions for bacteria

bacteria

sing. bacterium

Microorganisms made up of a single cell that has no distinct nucleus. Bacteria reproduce by fission or by forming spores.

Notes for bacteria

Some bacteria are beneficial to humans (for example, those that live in the stomach and aid digestion), and some are harmful (for example, those that cause disease).

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.