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bacilli

[buh-sil-uhs]

Origin

noun, plural -cil·li

[-sil-ahy] .

any rod-shaped or cylindrical bacterium of the genus Bacillus, comprising spore-producing bacteria.

(formerly) any bacterium.

Origin:
1880–85; < Late Latin, variant of Latin bacillum (diminutive of baculum) staff, walking stick

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Bacilli is always a great word to know.

So is zedonk. Does it mean:

the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

bacillus

1883, from Mod.L., "little rod," from L.L. bacillus "wand," lit. "little staff," dim. of baculum "a stick," from PIE base *bak- "staff," also source of Gk. bakterion (see bacteria). Introduced as a term in bacteriology 1853 by Ger. botanist Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898).

EXPAND

bacilli

pl. of bacillus (q.v.).

COLLAPSE

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage

Medical Dictionary

Bacillus (bə-sĭl'əs)
n.
A genus of rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria capable of producing endospores.

The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
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American Heritage

Science Dictionary

bacillus