bordetella

noun

bor·​de·​tel·​la ˌbȯr-də-ˈte-lə 

variants or Bordetella

1

: any of a genus (Bordetella) of gram-negative bacteria having the form of short oval rods and including the causative agents of whooping cough in humans and kennel cough in dogs and cats

2

: kennel cough

Another common illness requiring vaccination is bordetella, commonly known as "kennel cough." Any dog using public dog parks, boarding facilities, grooming facilities, and other public places should receive this vaccine.

—Jenny Anderson

Examples of bordetella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Prices for California clients range from $85 for a physical exam, $40 for a vaccine such as bordetella or rabies, $807 to spay a cat or $753 to neuter a dog under 45 pounds. — Samantha Gowen, Oc Register, 23 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from Jules Bordet †1961 Belgian microbiologist and his son Paul Bordet †1987 Belgian microbiologist + -ella, suffix in names of microorganisms — more at zooxanthella

Note: The taxon Bordetella was introduced by the Spanish biologist Manuel Moreno López (1922-90) in "El genero Bordetella," Microbiología Española, vol. 5, nos. 3-4 (julio-decembre, 1952), pp. 177-84.

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for bordetella

• arabella
• bartonella
• cinderella
• citronella
• columella
• isabella
• klebsiella
• legionella
• mozzarella
• pasteurella
• salmonella
• trichinella

Medical Definition

Bordetella

noun

Bor·​de·​tel·​la ˌbȯrd-ə-ˈtel-ə 

: a genus of bacteria comprising very short gram-negative strictly aerobic coccuslike bacilli and including the causative agent (B. pertussis) of whooping cough