listeria

noun

lis·​te·​ria li-ˈstir-ē-ə 

plural listeria

: any of a genus (Listeria) of small, gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria that do not form spores and have a tendency to grow in chains and that include one (Listeria monocytogenes) that causes listeriosis

A common germ found in many foods from raw vegetables to hot dogs, listeria can cause a sometimes fatal disease called listeriosis when present in large quantities.

—Amy Barrett

also : a disease or sickness caused by infection with this bacterium : listeriosis

Listeria symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea.

—Sierra Brown

Examples of listeria in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Rich’s Ice Cream is recalling some of its frozen novelties due to potential listeria contamination. —Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 22 July 2025

What to Know Numerous flavors of Rich's Ice Cream have been pulled from store shelves amid possible listeria contamination. —Anna Skinner, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 July 2025

More than 100,000 ice cream bars produced by Rich's Ice Cream have been recalled over concerns of potential listeria contamination. —Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 21 July 2025

Sykes said that feeding cooked, processed diets to cats not only reduces the risk of infection of bird flu, which is relatively rare, but also for other, more common bacteria like listeria and E. coli. —Elizabeth B. Kim, The Enquirer, 15 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Listeria, from Joseph Lister

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for listeria

• arteria
• bacteria
• criteria
• diphtheria
• egeria
• neisseria
• wisteria
• cafeteria
• cyanobacteria
• mycobacteria

Medical Definition

listeria

noun

lis·​te·​ria lis-ˈtir-ē-ə 

1

capitalized : a genus of small gram-positive flagellated rod-shaped bacteria that do not form spores, are aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, and have a tendency to grow in chains and that include one (L. monocytogenes) causing listeriosis

2

: any bacterium of the genus Listeria

called also listerella

listerial

lis-ˈtir-ē-əl 

adjective

listeric

-ik 

adjective