bacteria
A type, species, or strain of bacteriumA type, species, or strain of bacterium.
» This bacterium is resistant to penicillin.
Dieses Bakterium ist resistent gegen Penicillin.
Эта бактерия устойчива к пенициллину.
Эта бактерия резистентна к пенициллину.
Meaning
3 senses(US)A type, species, or strain of bacterium.
(derogatory, slang)Lowlife, slob (could be treated as plural or singular).
(dated)An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus.
- (microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants
Examples
4 sentencesThis bacterium is resistant to penicillin.
ruЭта бактерия устойчива к пенициллину.
deDieses Bakterium ist resistent gegen Penicillin.
Do not confuse a virus with a bacterium.
deViren und Bakterien sollte man nicht verwechseln!
Koalas face many threats, including chlamydia – a bacterium that can cause pneumonia and infertility.
The toxin that causes diphtheria is produced by a normally benign bacterium when infected with a certain virus.
Origin
Borrowed from New Latin bacteria, plural of bactērium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗBorrowed from New Latin bacteria, plural of bactērium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion, “little rod”); by surface analysis, bacteri(um) + -a.
From New Latin bactēria, from Ancient Greek βακτηρίᾱ (baktēríā, “rod, stick”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: bacterias / bacteriaeSynonyms
1 synonyms- (microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants:bacterium
Word family
12 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Plural nouns — Because its plural is irregular