salmonella

noun

sal·​mo·​nel·​la ˌsal-mə-ˈne-lə 

plural salmonellae ˌsal-mə-ˈne-(ˌ)lē 

-ˌlī

or salmonellas or salmonella

: any of a genus (Salmonella) of usually motile enterobacteria that are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals and cause food poisoning, gastrointestinal inflammation, typhoid fever, or septicemia

Examples of salmonella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Healthy people infected with salmonella usually experience several symptoms, such as fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain, the federal agency said. —Jonathan Limehouse, USA Today, 4 May 2025

On top of creating new safety standards to stop the sale of raw chicken and chicken parts with salmonella, the new rule also would have overhauled safety procedures and testing in slaughterhouses to prevent contamination. —David Matthews, New York Daily News, 24 Apr. 2025

As of the last update provided by the FDA on January 29, a total of 18 people across seven states became infected with the outbreak strain of salmonella. —Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2025

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that salmonella causes around 1.35 million annual infections in the U.S., with the majority resulting from contaminated food. —Kristan Hawkins, Newsweek, 7 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Daniel E. Salmon †1914 American veterinarian

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for salmonella

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

Kids Definition

salmonella

noun

sal·​mo·​nel·​la ˌsal-mə-ˈnel-ə 

plural salmonellae -ˈnel-ē 

-ˌī

or salmonellas or salmonella

: any of a genus of rod-shaped bacteria that cause various illnesses (as food poisoning) in human beings and other warm-blooded animals

Medical Definition

salmonella

noun

sal·​mo·​nel·​la ˌsal-mə-ˈnel-ə 

1

capitalized : a genus of aerobic gram-negative rod-shaped nonspore-forming usually motile bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae that grow well on artificial media and form acid and gas on many carbohydrates but not on lactose, sucrose, or salicin, that are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals, and that cause food poisoning, acute gastrointestinal inflammation, typhoid fever, and septicemia

2

plural salmonellae -ˈnel-ē  or salmonellas or salmonella : any bacterium of the genus Salmonella