noun
Meaning 1
plural of bacterium
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: form-of, plural
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
bacteria
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation: /bakˈtɪə̯.ri.ə/
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General-American: /bækˈtɪɹ.i.ə/
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US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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rhymes with -ɪəɹiə
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CMU ARPABET: B AE0 K T IH1 R IY0 AH0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
noun
Meaning 2
A type, species, or strain of bacterium.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 3
Alternative form of bacterium.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: US, alt-of, alternative, proscribed
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 4
Lowlife, slob (could be treated as plural or singular).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, slang
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 5
An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Topics: medicine, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Meaning 6
(microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: bacterium
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: microorganism, micro-organism
Narrower terms: acidophil, acidophile, probiotic, probiotic bacterium, probiotic microflora, probiotic flora, bacteroid, eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria, Calymmatobacterium, genus Calymmatobacterium, Francisella, genus Francisella, gonococcus, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Legionella pneumophilia, legionella, nitrobacterium, penicillin-resistant bacteria, pus-forming bacteria, rod, diplococcus, superbug
History
Etymology
Etymology tree Ancient Greek βακτηρία (baktēría) Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Ancient Greek -ῐος (-ĭos)? Ancient Greek -ιον (-ion) Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion)bor. New Latin bactēriabor. English bacteria Borrowed from New Latin bacteria, plural of bactērium, from Ancient Greek βακτήριον (baktḗrion, “little rod”); by surface analysis, bacteri(um) + -a.
From New Latin bactēria, from Ancient Greek βακτηρίᾱ (baktēríā, “rod, stick”).
Real reading context