bacteriophage

noun

bac·​te·​ri·​o·​phage bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌfāj How to pronounce bacteriophage (audio)
also
-ˌfäzh How to pronounce bacteriophage (audio)
plural bacteriophages
: a virus that infects bacteria : phage
Much smaller than the bacteria they attack, bacteriophages cannot grow and multiply on their own.C. Claiborne Ray
The genes were amplified by using PCR [=polymerase chain reaction] and inserted into … a bacteriophage of E. coli.Ricki Lewis
bacteriophagy noun

Examples of bacteriophage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
One company is aiming to treat infections with a different strategy: arming tiny viruses called bacteriophages with Crispr. Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Sep. 2024 These remarkable entities were named bacteriophages — literally bacteria-eaters — or phages for short. Cecilia.butini, Vox, 4 June 2024 The development of antibiotics sidelined bacteriophage use for decades, except in a handful of countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. Cecilia.butini, Vox, 4 June 2024 This discovery resulted from an exhaustive study of the bacteriophage T4, a virus that infects bacteria. William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for bacteriophage 

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of bacteriophage was in 1917

Dictionary Entries Near bacteriophage

Cite this Entry

“Bacteriophage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacteriophage. Accessed 12 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

bacteriophage

noun
bac·​te·​rio·​phage
bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌfāj,
-ˌfāzh
: any of various viruses that specifically attack bacteria

Medical Definition

bacteriophage

noun
bac·​te·​ri·​o·​phage bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌfāj How to pronounce bacteriophage (audio) -ˌfäzh How to pronounce bacteriophage (audio)
: a virus that infects bacteria : phage
Bacteriophages invade bacterial cells and burst them open before they have a chance to produce lactic acid.Diana Morgan and Terence Monmaney, Science
bacteriophagy noun

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