bacterium

Noun

Meaning

A microscopic vegetable organism, belonging to the class Algae, usually in the form of a jointed rodlike filament, and found in putrefying organic infusions. Bacteria are destitute of chlorophyll, and are the smallest of microscopic organisms. They are very widely diffused in nature, and multiply with marvelous rapidity, both by fission and by spores. Certain species are active agents in fermentation, while others appear to be the cause of certain infectious diseases. See Bacillus.

Source: Webster's dictionary

Synonyms

bacteria bacillus germ microorganism microbe pathogen unit disease plague salmonella infection egg organism bacterial embryo
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Antonyms

health treatment bactericidal medicine remedy pharmaceutical
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Hypernyms

microorganism micro-organism

Hyponyms

rod probiotic legionella diplococcus eubacterium bacteroid

Phrases with the word

dormant bacterium food-poisoning bacterium lysogenic bacterium disease caused by a bacterium infectious disease caused by a bacterium lactic acid bacterium

Derivatives

bacteria

Examples

I wish, I wish I were a poisonous bacterium. Dorothy Parker

[The smallest bacterium] is so much more like people than Stanley Miller's mixtures of chemicals, because it already has these system properties. So to go from a bacterium to people is less of a step than to go from a mixture of amino acids to that bacterium. Lynn Margulis

A child bitten by a flea infected with the Yersinia pestis bacterium. Source: Internet

A fimbria is a short pilus that is used to attach the bacterium to a surface. Source: Internet

As soon as infants begin eating solid food, the digestive juices become too acidic for the bacterium to grow. Source: Internet

After the bacterium invades the gastrointestinal system, it spreads to the bloodstream and throughout the body, while continuing to make toxins. Source: Internet

Close letter words and terms

bacterise bacteristatic bacteritic bacterium causing disease bacteriuria bacteriuric