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Bacteria - 12 dictionary results
bac⋅te⋅ri⋅a
[bak-teer-ee-uh] 
–plural noun, singular -te⋅ri⋅um [-teer-ee-uh
m] .
[-teer-ee-uhm] . | ubiquitous one-celled organisms, spherical, spiral, or rod-shaped and appearing singly or in chains, comprising the Schizomycota, a phylum of the kingdom Monera (in some classification systems the plant class Schizomycetes), various species of which are involved in fermentation, putrefaction, infectious diseases, or nitrogen fixation. |
Related forms:
bac⋅te⋅ri⋅al, adjective
bac⋅te⋅ri⋅al⋅ly, adverb
bac⋅te⋅ri⋅um
[bak-teer-ee-uhm] –noun
| sing. of bacteria. |
Origin:
1840–50; < NL < Gk bakt
rion, dim. of baktēría staff; akin to báktron stick, L baculum, bacillum
1840–50; < NL < Gk bakt
rion, dim. of baktēría staff; akin to báktron stick, L baculum, bacillum
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To Bacteria
| bac·te·ri·a (bāk-tîr'ē-ə) n. Plural of bacterium. |
| bac·te·ri·um (bāk-tîr'ē-əm) n. pl. bac·te·ri·a (-tîr'ē-ə) Any of the unicellular prokaryotic microorganisms of the class Schizomycetes, which vary in terms of morphology, oxygen and nutritional requirements, and motility, and may be free-living, saprophytic, or pathogenic in plants or animals. [New Latin bactērium, from Greek baktērion, diminutive of baktron, rod; see bak- in Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Bacteria
Bac*te"ri*a\, n.p. See Bacterium.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : Bacteria
Spanish:
bacteria,
German:
die Bakterien,
Japanese:
細菌
bacteria
sing. bacterium
Microorganisms made up of a single cell that has no distinct nucleus. Bacteria reproduce by fission or by forming spores.
Note: Some bacteria are beneficial to humans (for example, those that live in the stomach and aid digestion), and some are harmful (for example, those that cause disease).
The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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bacteria
1847, from Mod.L. pl. of bacterium, from Gk. bakterion "small staff," dim. of baktron "stick, rod," from PIE *bak- "staff used for support." So called because the first ones observed were rod-shaped. Introduced as a scientific word 1838 by Ger. naturalist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg (1795-1876).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Main Entry: 2bac·te·ria
Pronunciation: bak-'tir-E-&
Function: noun
1 :
2 plural capitalized : a domain in the system of classification dividing all organisms into three major domains of life that includes the prokaryotes that are bacteria but not those that are archaebacteria
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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bacteria bac·te·ri·a (bāk-tǐr'ē-ə)
n.
Plural of bacterium.
bac·te'ri·al adj.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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| bacteria (bāk-tîr'ē-ə) Pronunciation Key
Plural of bacterium. |
| bacterium (bāk-tîr'ē-əm) Pronunciation Key
Plural bacteria Any of a large group of one-celled organisms that lack a cell nucleus, reproduce by fission or by forming spores, and in some cases cause disease. They are the most abundant lifeforms on Earth, and are found in all living things and in all of the Earth's environments. Bacteria usually live off other organisms. Bacteria make up most of the kingdom of prokaryotes (Monera or Prokaryota), with one group (the archaea or archaebacteria) often classified as a separate kingdom. See also archaeon, prokaryote. bacterial adjective Our Living Language : It is important to remember that bacteria is the plural of bacterium, and that saying a bacteria is incorrect. It is correct to say The soil sample contains millions of bacteria, and Tetanus is caused by a bacterium. |
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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