bacterium - Wiktionary, the free dictionary (original) (raw)

From Wiktionary, the free dictionary

3D diagram of a bacterium

Shapes of bacteria

From New Latin bactērium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion, “small staff”), from βακτηρία (baktēría).

bacterium (plural bacteria or (uncommon, possibly nonstandard) bacteriums)

  1. (microbiology) A single-celled organism with cell walls but no nucleus or organelles.
    • 2013 July 20, “Welcome to the plastisphere”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8845:
      Plastics are energy-rich substances, which is why many of them burn so readily. Any organism that could unlock and use that energy would do well in the Anthropocene. Terrestrial bacteria and fungi which can manage this trick are already familiar to experts in the field.

single-celled organism with no nucleus or organelles

Translations to be checked

From Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion, “small staff”), from βακτηρία (baktēría).

bactērium n (genitive bactēriī); second declension

  1. (Late Latin, Medieval Latin) cane, walking-stick; staff (of a shepherd)
  2. (New Latin, microbiology) bacterium

Second-declension noun (neuter).