spirochete

or spi·ro·chaete

[ spahy-ruh-keet ]

noun
  1. any of various spiral-shaped motile bacteria of the phylum Spirochaetes, distinguished by twisting flagella that run lengthwise between the bacterium’s inner and outer membranes, and inclusive of the family Spirochaetaceae, noted for certain pathogenic species that cause Lyme disease, syphilis, and other illnesses.

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Origin of spirochete

1
First recorded in 1875–80; <New Latin spīrochaeta. See spiro-2, chaeta

Other words from spirochete

  • spi·ro·chet·al, spi·ro·che·tic, adjective

Words Nearby spirochete

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

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Scientific definitions for spirochete

spirochete

[ spīrə-kēt′ ]


  1. Any of various bacteria of the order Spirochaetales that are shaped like a spiral, such as Treponema pallidum, the pathogen that causes syphilis.

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