coccus

¹ American  

[kok-uhs] / ˈkɒk əs /

noun

plural

cocci

1. Bacteriology. a spherical bacterium.

2. Botany. one of the carpels of a schizocarp.

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-coccus ² American  

1. a combining form representing coccus in compound words.

   streptococcus.

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coccus British  

/ ˈkɒkəs, ˈkɒksɪk /

noun

1. any spherical or nearly spherical bacterium, such as a staphylococcus Compare bacillus spirillum

2. the part of a fruit that contains one seed and separates from the whole fruit at maturity

3. any of the scale insects of the genus Coccus

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coccus Scientific  

/ kŏk′əs /

plural

cocci

1. Any of various bacteria having a round or ovoid form such as streptococcus or staphylococcus, usually grouped in chains.

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Usage

What does -coccus mean? The combining form -coccus is used like a suffix meaning “coccus.” Coccus is a scientific term with two meanings. In terms from bacteriology, it means "spherical bacterium." In terms from botany, it refers to the mericarp, one segment of a schizocarp, a kind of fruit. The form -coccus comes from Greek kókkos, meaning “grain, seed, or berry.” The Latin equivalent of kókkos is grānum, “grain” or “seed,” which is the source of words such as grain, granite, and granular. Discover more at our entry for each word. What are variants of -coccus?While -coccus doesn't have any variants, it is related to the form -coccal, as in streptococcal. Want to know more? Read our Words That Use article for -coccal.

Other Word Forms

• coccal adjective
• coccic adjective
• coccoid adjective
• coccous adjective

Etymology

Origin of coccus

1755–65; < New Latin < Greek kókkos grain, seed, berry

Example Sentences

Each insect, known as Dactylopius coccus, must be bred to a larvae stage and “planted” on a previously wounded cactus pad, and then left for months to feed and mature.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 2023

Its use raised objections by vegans and vegetarians because it comes from the Dactylopius coccus, a small white insect gives a vibrant red color when crushed.

From Scientific American • Jun. 4, 2013

Boiled and ground masses of female cochineal bugs, Dactylopius coccus, whose fat contains the dye.

From Time Magazine Archive

It is an extremely beautiful production, quite unlike any thing I have yet seen, and is, I have no doubt, the scale of a coccus.

From Journal of an Expedition into the Interior of Tropical Australia by Mitchell, Thomas

Like the "coccus cacti," it is covered with a whitish dust, and yields a tinctorial matter soluble in water and alcohol.

From Field's Chromatography or Treatise on Colours and Pigments as Used by Artists by Salter, Thomas