azotobacter

noun

azo·​to·​bac·​ter ā-ˈzō-tə-ˌbak-tər How to pronounce azotobacter (audio)
: any of a genus (Azotobacter) of large rod-shaped or spherical bacteria occurring in soil and sewage and fixing atmospheric nitrogen

Examples of azotobacter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web One highly beneficial strain of bacteria, azotobacter, can aid in nitrogen fixation — pulling nitrogen from the air and converting it to ammonia and other beneficial compounds for the soil. Howard Garrett, Dallas News, 10 May 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'azotobacter.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, genus name, from International Scientific Vocabulary azote + New Latin bacterium

First Known Use

1900, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of azotobacter was in 1900

Dictionary Entries Near azotobacter

Cite this Entry

“Azotobacter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/azotobacter. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

azotobacter

noun
azo·​to·​bac·​ter ā-ˈzōt-ə-ˌbak-tər How to pronounce azotobacter (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of large rod-shaped or spherical bacteria occurring in soil and sewage and fixing atmospheric nitrogen
2
: any bacterium of the genus Azotobacter
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