salmonella

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noun sal·mo·nel·la \ˌsal-mə-ˈne-lə\

Simple Definition of salmonella

: a kind of bacteria that is sometimes in food and that makes people sick

Source: Merriam-Webster's Learner's Dictionary

Full Definition of salmonella

plural

salmonellae

play \-ˈne-(ˌ)lē, -ˌlī\ or

salmonellas

salmonella

: any of a genus (Salmonella) of usually motile enterobacteria that are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals and cause food poisoning, gastrointestinal inflammation, typhoid fever, or septicemia

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Origin and Etymology of salmonella

New Latin, from Daniel E. Salmon †1914 American veterinarian

First Known Use: 1913

Other Microbiology Terms

pathogen, tetanus

Medical Dictionary

salmonella

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noun sal·mo·nel·la \ˌsal-mə-ˈnel-ə\

Medical Definition of salmonella

1 capitalized : a genus of aerobic gram-negative rod-shaped nonspore-forming usually motile bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae that grow well on artificial media and form acid and gas on many carbohydrates but not on lactose, sucrose, or salicin, that are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals, and that cause food poisoning, acute gastrointestinal inflammation, typhoid fever, and septicemia
2plural salmonellae \-ˈnel-ē\play or salmonellas or salmonella : any bacterium of the genus Salmonella

Biographical Note for salmonella

Salmon

\ˈsam-ən\play ,

Daniel Elmer

(1850–1914), American veterinarian. For the greater part of his career Salmon was associated with the United States Department of Agriculture, having joined the department to investigate diseases of domestic animals, especially Texas fever. He later founded and became chief of the Bureau of Animal Industry. In 1900 the genus Salmonella of bacteria was named after him.