saccharomyces

noun sac·cha·ro·my·ces \ ˌsa-kə-rō-ˈmī-(ˌ)sēz \

Definition of saccharomyces

: any of a genus (Saccharomyces of the family Saccharomycetaceae) of usually unicellular yeasts (such as a brewer's yeast) that are distinguished by their sparse or absent mycelium and by their facility in reproducing asexually by budding

Recent Examples of saccharomyces from the Web

Five years ago, scientists at a Swiss company called Evolva added genes to Saccharomyces cerevisiae so that the yeasty beasties ferment sugar into the compound that makes vanilla taste vanillish.

— david ferry, WIRED, "Biochemists Are Turning Genetically Modified Yeast Into Perfume and Opioids," 31 Dec. 2014

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Origin and Etymology of saccharomyces

New Latin, from sacchar- + -myces fungus, from Greek mykēs — more at myc-

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1873

See Words from the same year

Medical Dictionary

saccharomyces

noun sac·cha·ro·my·ces \ ˌsak-ə-rō-ˈmī-(ˌ)sēz \

medical Definition of saccharomyces

1 capitalized : a genus of unicellular yeasts (as a brewer's yeast) of the family Saccharomycetaceae that are distinguished by their sparse or absent mycelium and by their facility in reproducing asexually by budding

2 plural saccharomyces : any yeast of the genus Saccharomyces