Staphylococcus aureus

Translingual

Etymology

Staphylococcus (genus) +‎ aureus (“golden”), for the characteristic golden color imparted by its carotenoid pigment staphyloxanthin.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [sta.pʰy.ɫɔˈkɔk.kʊs ˈau̯.re.ʊs]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [sta.fi.loˈkɔk.kus ˈaːu̯.re.us]

Proper noun

Staphylococcus aureus m

Staphylococcus aureus, SEM

1. A taxonomic species within the family Staphylococcaceae – a relatively common bacterium which is sometimes pathogenic. In humans it is a common cause of infections and food poisoning.

Derived terms

• MRSA, MSSA, ORSA, HA-MRSA, CA-MRSA, VRSA, VISA

Descendants

• English: → golden staph (calque)

Further reading

• Staphylococcus aureus on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Staphylococcus aureus on Wikispecies.Wikispecies
• Category:Staphylococcus aureus on Wikimedia Commons.Wikimedia Commons
• List of sequenced bacterial genomes on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• Staphylococcus aureus at National Center for Biotechnology Information