bacillus

ba-cil-lus · noun

imported

Definitions

noun

  1. 1.

    A rod-shaped bacterium, especially one of a genus (Bacillus) that includes many species responsible for diseases and food spoilage.

  2. 2.

    Any bacterium, especially one that causes disease.

Forms

plural: bacilli

Related words

See also: bacteria, microbe, pathogen
Synonyms: bacterium, germ, microbe

Etymology

From Latin bacillum, diminutive of baculus meaning "stick" or "rod," referring to the rod-like shape of these bacteria.