campylobacter

noun

cam·​pylo·​bac·​ter ˌkam-pi-lō-ˈbak-tər 

kam-ˌpi-lə-

: any of a genus (Campylobacter) of spirally curved motile gram-negative rod-shaped bacteria of which some are pathogenic in domestic animals and humans

Examples of campylobacter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The state is still waiting on results for bacteria that cause staph and campylobacter. —Thomas Heaton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026

Raw milk and products made from it have been associated with outbreaks of multiple type of bacteria, including E. coli, salmonella, campylobacter and listeria. —Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2026

And last August, Florida health officials said that 21 people developed campylobacter and E. coli infections after consuming raw milk. —Kaan Ozcan, NBC news, 16 Mar. 2026

Florida officials issued a similar warning in August 2025 after 21 people, including six children, were sickened by E. coli and campylobacter bacteria linked to raw milk from the same farm. —Kerry Breen, CBS News, 3 Feb. 2026

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Greek kampylos bent + New Latin bacterium; akin to Greek kampē bend — more at gambit

First Known Use

1964, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for campylobacter

• enterobacter

Medical Definition

campylobacter

noun

cam·​py·​lo·​bac·​ter ˈkam-pə-lō-ˌbak-tər 

1

capitalized : a genus (family Campylobacteraceae) of slender spirally curved rod bacteria that are gram-negative, microaerophilic, and motile with a characteristic motion resembling a corkscrew, that do not form spores, and that include forms formerly included in the genus Spirillum or Vibrio of which some are pathogenic for domestic animals or humans see helicobacter

2

: any bacterium of the genus Campylobacter