phage

1 of 2

noun

ˈfāj 

also

ˈfäzh 

plural phages also phage

: a virus that infects bacteria : bacteriophage

They cloned the antibody genes and inserted them into phage, a virus that infects bacteria cells.

—Teresa L. White

Bacteriophages, also known simply as phages, came to light around 90 years ago, when two European scientists independently discovered that there are viruses that kill bacteria.

—John Travis

-phage

2 of 2

noun combining form

: virus or cell that destroys cells

bacteriophage

microphage

Examples of phage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

One of the other things that Claude noticed was that these array of associated reverse transcriptases seem to be isolated to jumbo phages, which have very large genomes for bacteriophage. — Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Emily's Entourage is also investing in other approaches — phages, which are naturally occurring viruses that kill bacteria, and antimicrobials – that treat drug-resistant infections that can ultimately be fatal for CF patients. — Gerry Smith, CNBC, 9 Oct. 2026

Like antibiotics, phages can cause the release of endotoxins, or toxic substances, which can cause a severe inflammatory – and potentially fatal – response, like septic shock. — Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

The concept of using phages to detect and destroy bacteria is certainly not new; however, with AI, there is new opportunity. — Dr. Sai Balasubramanian, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

by shortening

Noun combining form

Greek -phagos one that eats, from -phagos -phagous

First Known Use

Noun

1920, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for phage

• age
• gauge
• phage
• plage
• rage
• stage
• wage
• alienage
• assuage
• backstage
• bocage
• downstage

Kids Definition

phage

noun

ˈfāj 

also ˈfäzh

: bacteriophage

Medical Definition

phage

noun

ˈfāj 

also

ˈfäzh 

plural phages also phage

: a virus that infects bacteria : bacteriophage

To infect a host bacterium, a phage will first interact with receptors on the host cell, adsorb and then inject its genome.

—George P. C. Salmond and Peter C. Fineran, Nature Reviews Microbiology

Phages have various possible life cycles which, along with interaction with their physical environment, dictate their role in bacterial/archaeal biology.

—Martha R. J. Clokie et al., Bacteriophage