Open main menu
Wiktionary β

bacteria

See also: Bacteria, bactéria, and bacterià

Contents

EnglishEdit

 
scanning electron micrograph of E. coli bacteria

PronunciationEdit

  • (US) IPA(key): /bækˈtɪɹ.i.ə/
  • (UK) IPA(key): /bækˈtɪəɹ.ɪ.ə/
  • Audio (US)
    		(file)

Etymology 1Edit

From New Latin bacteria, plural of bacterium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion), neuter diminutive of βακτηρία (baktēría, “rod, stick”) (cognate with English peg).

NounEdit

bacteria

  1. plural of bacterium

bacteria

  1. (US) A type, species, or strain of bacterium.
    • 2002, A.C. Panchdhari, Water Supply and Sanitary Installations‎[1], 2nd ed. edition, →ISBN, page 177:
      Anaerobic bacteria function in the absence of oxygen, where as aerobic bacteria require sunlight and also oxygen. Both these bacterias are capable of breaking down the organic matter […]
  2. (US, proscribed) Alternative form of bacterium.
  3. (derogatory, slang) A derisive term for a lowlife or a slob (could be treated as plural or singular).
Usage notesEdit
  • This is the plural form of the word. While it is often used as if it were singular (as a collective noun), this is considered nonstandard by some in the US and more elsewhere. See the usage examples under bacterium.
Derived termsEdit
TranslationsEdit

see also under bacterium

See alsoEdit

Etymology 2Edit

From New Latin bacteria, from Ancient Greek βακτηρία (baktēría, “rod, stick”).

NounEdit

bacteria (plural bacteriae)

  1. (dated, medicine) An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus.

AnagramsEdit

GalicianEdit

NounEdit

bacteria f (plural bacterias)

  1. bacterium

LatinEdit

SpanishEdit

NounEdit

bacteria f (plural bacterias)

  1. bacterium
Retrieved from "https://en.wiktionary.org/w/index.php?title=bacteria&oldid=50090061"