E. coli
noun
plural E. coli
: an enterobacterium (Escherichia coli) that is used in public health as an indicator of fecal pollution (as of water or food) and in medicine and genetics as a research organism and that occurs in various strains that may live as harmless inhabitants of the human lower intestine or may produce a toxin causing intestinal illness see enterobacterium illustration
Examples of E. coli in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Water samples are tested for E. coli to determine the need for beach closures.
—
Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
One such novel hypothesis that Mythos came up with—identifying a specific protein in E. coli bacteria as a target for new antimicrobial therapies—has in fact already been validated in physical laboratory testing.
—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warned people that swimming is not recommended at Backbone Beach, Pine Lake South Beach, Geode Lake Beach, Union Grove Beach, Pleasant Creek Beach and Nine Eagles Beach due to elevated E. coli levels.
—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Over in Iowa, the state's Department of Natural Resources has listed at least five beaches across the state as unfit for swimming due to the presence of E. coli, including Black Hawk Beach in Lake View, Pleasant Creek in Palo, Backbone in Dundee and Lake Darling in Brighton.
—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for E. coli
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Elyssa Kaufman,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
One such novel hypothesis that Mythos came up with—identifying a specific protein in E. coli bacteria as a target for new antimicrobial therapies—has in fact already been validated in physical laboratory testing.
—
Rob Toews,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2026
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) warned people that swimming is not recommended at Backbone Beach, Pine Lake South Beach, Geode Lake Beach, Union Grove Beach, Pleasant Creek Beach and Nine Eagles Beach due to elevated E. coli levels.
—
Teresa Mull,
FOXNews.com,
20 June 2026
Over in Iowa, the state's Department of Natural Resources has listed at least five beaches across the state as unfit for swimming due to the presence of E. coli, including Black Hawk Beach in Lake View, Pleasant Creek in Palo, Backbone in Dundee and Lake Darling in Brighton.
—
Christopher Edwards,
PEOPLE,
19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for E. coli
Cite this Entry
“E. coli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/E.%20coli. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
E. coli
noun
plural E. coli
: a bacterium in the shape of a short rod that may cause intestinal illness
Etymology
short for Escherichia coli, the taxonomic name in biology
Medical Definition
E. coli
nounˌē-ˈkō-ˌlī
plural E. coli also E. colis
: a straight rod-shaped gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli of the family Enterobacteriaceae) that is used in public health as an indicator of fecal pollution (as of water or food) and in medicine and genetics as a research organism and that occurs in various strains that may live as harmless inhabitants of the human lower intestine or may produce a toxin causing intestinal illness marked especially by diarrhea
one million acid-resistant E. coli per gram of feces—John Schwartz
John Schwartzthis E. coli can survive … longer than all the other E. colis—Ed Geldreich
Ed GeldreichLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
