pneumococcus

noun

pneu·mo·coc·cus ˌnü-mə-ˈkä-kəs

ˌnyü-

plural pneumococci ˌnü-mə-ˈkäk-ˌsī

-ˌsē;

-ˈkä-ˌkī,

-ˌkē,

ˌnyü-

: a bacterium (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that causes an acute pneumonia involving one or more lobes of the lung

pneumococcal

ˌnü-mə-ˈkä-kəl

ˌnyü-

adjective

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This microbe, commonly known as pneumococcus, is the world’s leading cause of life-threatening bacterial lung infection. —

Claire Panosian Dunavan, Discover Magazine, 13 Aug. 2018 In 1996, when levofloxacin hit prescription pads, a strain of pneumococcus became resistant to it that very year. —

Christian Millman, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2018 In the case of pneumococcus, for example, immunizing children indirectly protects older adults by limiting transmission. —

Apoorva Mandavilli, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2022 These protect against pneumonia and other serious diseases, such as meningitis and bacteremia, from the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae, also called pneumococcus. —

Dr. Keith Roach, oregonlive, 10 May 2021 Last week, Merkel received a vaccine shot against pneumococcus, a pneumonia-causing bacteria, from a doctor who later tested positive for coronavirus, her office said Sunday. —

NBC News, 24 Mar. 2020 Conversely, researchers note drops in other diseases such as pneumococcus and diarrhea after widespread adoption of measles vaccinations. —

National Geographic, 6 Nov. 2019 However, the data show that’s not the case: Not only did cases of measles plummet once vaccine use became widespread, but cases of other diseases dropped as well—pneumococcus, diarrhea, and more. —

National Geographic, 4 Mar. 2019 The pneumococcus bacteria can cause deadly secondary infections, especially in older people who get the flu or whooping cough. —

Paul Sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, 24 Apr. 2018 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pneumococcus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.