bacteria

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Pronunciation 1.2 Etymology 1 1.2.1 Noun 1.2.1.1 Usage notes 1.2.1.2 Translations 1.2.1.3 See also 1.3 Etymology 2 1.3.1 Noun 2 Galician 2.1 Noun 3 Spanish 3.1 Noun

[edit] English

[edit] Pronunciation

• (US) IPA: /bækˈtɪɻ.i.ə/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}

[edit] Etymology 1

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

[edit] Noun

bacteria

1. Plural form of bacterium.
2. (US, nonstandard) A type, species, or strain of bacterium
   • 2002, A.C. Panchdhari, Water Supply and Sanitary Installations^[1], 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).

[edit] 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.

[edit] Translations

see also under bacterium

[edit] See also

• culture (collective noun)

[edit] Etymology 2

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

[edit] Noun

bacteria (plural bacteriae)

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

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[edit] Galician

[edit] Noun

bacteria f. (plural bacterias)

1. bacterium

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[edit] Spanish

[edit] Noun

bacteria f. (plural bacterias)

1. bacterium