Standard Lemma guide

staph

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

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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  • /stæf/
  • rhymes with -æf
  • homophone: staff
  • CMU ARPABET: S T AE1 F Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

Staphylococcus bacteria and the infection it causes.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: countable, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

spherical Gram-positive parasitic bacteria that tend to form irregular colonies; some cause boils or septicemia or infections

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: staphylococcus, staphylococci

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: coccus, cocci

History

Etymology

Shortening of staphylococcus.