brucella

noun

bru·​cel·​la brü-ˈse-lə How to pronounce brucella (audio)
plural brucellae brü-ˈse-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce brucella (audio) or brucellas
: any of a genus (Brucella) of nonmotile pleomorphic bacteria that cause disease in humans and domestic animals

Examples of brucella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
By 1952, the nation was itself well on its way to manufacturing weapons-grade brucella, tularemia, Q fever, anthrax, and many more biological agents, and was denying accusations of waging biological warfare by China, North Korea and Cuba (9)(10). Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 11 June 2013 The Health Commission of Lanzhou, the capital city of Gansu province, confirmed that 3,245 people had contracted the disease brucellosis, which is often caused by contact with livestock carrying the bacteria brucella. Jessie Yeung and Eric Cheung, CNN, 17 Sep. 2020

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Sir David Bruce

First Known Use

1930, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of brucella was in 1930

Dictionary Entries Near brucella

Cite this Entry

“Brucella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brucella. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

brucella

noun
bru·​cel·​la brü-ˈsel-ə How to pronounce brucella (audio)
1
capitalized : a genus of nonmotile capsulated bacteria of the family Brucellaceae that cause disease in humans and domestic animals
2
plural brucellae -ˈsel-(ˌ)ē How to pronounce brucella (audio) or brucellas : any bacterium of the genus Brucella
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