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bacteria

 - 11 dictionary results

bac⋅te⋅ri⋅a

[bak-teer-ee-uh]
–plural noun, singular -te⋅ri⋅um [-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.

Origin:
1905–10; < NL < Gk baktria, pl. of baktrion; see bacterium


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 baktrion, dim. of baktēría staff; akin to báktron stick, L baculum, bacillum
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source 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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Cultural Dictionary

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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Word Origin & History

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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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: 1bacteria
plural of BACTERIUM

Main Entry: bac·te·ri·um
Pronunciation: bak-'tir-E-&m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural bac·te·ria /-E-&/
: any of a group (as kingdom Procaryotae or kingdom Monera or the former class Schizomycetes) of prokaryotic unicellular round, spiral, or rod-shaped single-celledmicroorganisms that are often aggregated into colonies or motile by means of flagella, that live in soil, water, organic matter, or the bodies of plants and animals, and that are autotrophic,saprophytic, or parasitic in nutrition and important because of their biochemical effects and pathogenicity
Medical Dictionary

bacteria bac·te·ri·a (bāk-tǐr'ē-ə)
n.
Plural of bacterium.


bac·te'ri·al adj.

bacterium bac·te·ri·um (bāk-tēr'ē-əm)
n. pl. bac·te·ri·a (-tēr'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, the latter causing disease in plants or animals.

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