bacterium
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.bac·te·ri·um
noun \bak-ˈtir-ē-əm\ plural -ria\-ē-ə\
Definition of BACTERIUM
: any of a domain (Bacteria) of prokaryotic round, spiral, or rod-shaped single-celled microorganisms that may lack cell walls or are gram-positive or gram-negative if they have cell walls, that are often aggregated into colonies or motile by means of flagella, that typically live in soil, water, organic matter, or the bodies of plants and animals, that are usually autotrophic, saprophytic, or parasitic in nutrition, and that are noted for their biochemical effects and pathogenicity; broadly : prokaryote — compare archaea, eukaryote
See Origin of BACTERIUM
New Latin, from Greek baktērion staff
First Known Use: circa 1849
Other Microbiology Terms
Rhymes with BACTERIUM
bac·te·ri·um
noun \bak-ˈtir-ē-əm\ (Medical Dictionary)plural ; -ria \-ē-ə\ (audio pronunciation)
Medical Definition of BACTERIUM
: any of a domain (Bacteria) of prokaryotic round, spiral, or rod-shaped single-celled microorganisms that may lack cell walls or are gram-positive or gram-negative if they have cell walls, that are often aggregated into colonies or motile by means of flagella, that typically live in soil, water, organic matter, or the bodies of plants and animals, that are usually autotrophic, saprophytic, or parasitic in nutrition, and that are noted for their biochemical effects and pathogenicity; broadly : prokaryote
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