diplococcus

American  

[dip-luh-kok-uhs] / ˌdɪp ləˈkɒk əs /

noun

Bacteriology.

plural

diplococci

1. any of several spherical bacteria occurring in pairs, as Diplococcus pneumoniae.

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diplococcus British  

/ ˌdɪpləʊˈkɒksɪk, -ˈkɒkɪk, ˌdɪpləʊˈkɒkəs /

noun

1. any of various spherical Gram-positive bacteria that occur in pairs, esp any of the genus Diplococcus, such as D. pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia: family Lactobacillaceae

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Other Word Forms

• diplococcal adjective
• diplococcic adjective

Etymology

Origin of diplococcus

From New Latin, dating back to 1886; see origin at diplo-, coccus

Example Sentences

For instance, not a few healthy noses and throats contain the bacillus of diphtheria and the diplococcus of pneumonia.

From Preventable Diseases by Hutchinson, Woods

Organisms also are present, such as the diplococcus intracellularis in acute cerebro-spinal meningitis; staphylococci, streptococci, and pneumococci, particularly in the intra-cranial complications of middle ear disease.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

Piorkowski71 subjected Bulgarian maya to examination and associated himself with Metchnikoff72 in finding three species, a streptococcus, a diplococcus, and a specific organism to which he gave the name Yoghourt bacillus.

From The Bacillus of Long Life a manual of the preparation and souring of milk for dietary purposes, together with and historical account of the use of fermente by Douglas, Loudon

The clinical features are similar to those of acute general lepto-meningitis, and in sporadic cases the diagnosis is only completed by discovering the diplococcus intracellularis in the fluid withdrawn by lumbar puncture.

From Manual of Surgery Volume Second: Extremities—Head—Neck. Sixth Edition. by Miles, Alexander

The joint lesions which accompany acute rheumatism or “rheumatic fever” are believed to be due to a diplococcus.

From Manual of Surgery Volume First: General Surgery. Sixth Edition. by Thomson, Alexis