bacteria

See also: Bacteria, bactéria, and bacterià

English

scanning electron micrograph of E. coli bacteria

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /bækˈtɪɹ.i.ə/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /bækˈtɪəɹ.ɪ.ə/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Etymology 1

From New Latin bacteria, plural of bacterium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion), neuter diminutive of βακτηρία (baktēría, “rod, stick”) (cognate with English peg).

Noun

bacteria

  1. plural of bacterium

Noun

bacteria

  1. (US) A type, species, or strain of bacterium.
    • 2002, A.C. Panchdhari, Water Supply and Sanitary Installations‎, 2nd ed. edition, →ISBN, page 177:
      Anaerobic bacteria function in the absence of oxygen, where as aerobic bacteria require sunlight and also oxygen. Both these bacterias are capable of breaking down the organic matter […]
  2. (US, proscribed) Alternative form of bacterium.
  3. (pejorative, slang) A derisive term for a lowlife or a slob (could be treated as plural or singular).
Usage notes
  • This is the plural form of the word. While it is often used as if it were singular (as a collective noun), this is considered nonstandard by some in the US and more elsewhere. See the usage examples under bacterium.
Derived terms
Translations

see also under bacterium

See also

Etymology 2

From New Latin bacteria, from Ancient Greek βακτηρία (baktēría, “rod, stick”).

Noun

bacteria (plural bacteriae)

  1. (dated, medicine) An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus.

Anagrams

Galician

Noun

bacteria f (plural bacterias)

  1. bacterium

Latin

Noun

bacteria

  1. nominative plural of bacterium
  2. accusative plural of bacterium
  3. vocative plural of bacterium

Spanish

Noun

bacteria f (plural bacterias)

  1. bacterium
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