Main Entry: strep·to·coc·cus

Pronunciation: \-ˈkäk-əs\

Function: noun

1 capitalized : a genus of spherical or ovoid chiefly nonmotile and parasitic gram-positive bacteria (family Streptococcaceae) that divide only in one plane, occur in pairs or chains, and include important pathogens of humans and domestic animals
2 plural strep·to·coc·ci \-ˈkäk-ˌ(s)ī\ : any bacterium of the genus Streptococcus ; broadly : a coccus occurring in chains