Main Entry: staph·y·lo·coc·cus

Pronunciation: \-ˈkä-kəs\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural staph·y·lo·coc·ci \-ˈkä-ˌkī, -(ˌ)kē; -ˈkäk-ˌsī, -(ˌ)sē\

Etymology: New Latin, from Greek staphylē bunch of grapes + New Latin -coccus

Date: 1887

: any of a genus (Staphylococcus) of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria that occur singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters and include causative agents of various diseases (as skin infections, food poisoning, and endocarditis)