bacteria

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See also Bacteria, and bactéria

Contents

English[edit]

scanning electron micrograph of E. coli bacteria

Pronunciation[edit]

  • (US) IPA: /bækˈtɪɻ.i.ə/
  • (UK) IPA: /bækˈtɪəɹ.ɪə/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

Etymology 1[edit]

From New Latin bacteria, plural of bacterium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktērion), neuter diminutive of βακτηρία (baktēria, “rod, stick”).

Noun[edit]

bacteria

  1. Plural form of bacterium
  2. (US) A type, species, or strain of bacterium
    • 2002, A.C. Panchdhari, Water Supply and Sanitary Installations[1], edition 2nd ed., ISBN 8122412254, 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 […]
  3. (US, proscribed) Alternative form of bacterium.
  4. (pejorative, slang) A derisive term for a lowlife or a slob (could be treated as plural or singular).
Usage notes[edit]
  • 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[edit]
Translations[edit]

see also under bacterium

bacteria
See also[edit]

Etymology 2[edit]

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

Noun[edit]

bacteria (plural bacteriae)

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

Anagrams[edit]

Galician[edit]

Noun[edit]

bacteria f (plural bacterias)

  1. bacterium

Latin[edit]

Noun[edit]

bacteria

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

Spanish[edit]

Noun[edit]

bacteria f (plural bacterias)

  1. bacterium
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