Main Entry:

strep·to·my·ces

Pronunciation:

\-ˈmī-ˌsēz\

Function:

noun

Inflected Form(s):

plural streptomyces

Etymology:

New Latin, from strepto- + Greek mykēs fungus — more at myc-

Date:

1944

: any of a genus (Streptomyces) of mostly soil streptomycetes including some that form antibiotics as by-products of their metabolism