Adjacent Words

bacillus definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil [syn: bacillus, B]

Merriam Webster's

noun (plural bacilli) Etymology: New Latin, from Medieval Latin, small staff, rod, diminutive of Latin baculus staff, alteration of baculum Date: circa 1879 1. any of a genus (Bacillus) of rod-shaped gram-positive usually aerobic bacteria producing endospores and including many saprophytes and some parasites (as B. anthracis of anthrax); broadly a straight rod-shaped bacterium 2. bacterium; especially a disease-producing bacterium

Britannica Concise

Any of the rod-shaped, gram-positive bacteria (see gram stain) that make up the genus Bacillus, widely found in soil and water. The term is sometimes applied to all rodlike bacteria. Bacilli frequently occur in chains and can form spores under unfavorable environmental conditions. Resistant to heat, chemicals, and sunlight, these spores may remain capable of growing and developing for long periods of time. One type sometimes causes spoilage in canned foods. Another, widespread bacillus contaminates laboratory cultures and is often found on human skin. Most strains do not cause disease in humans, infecting them only incidentally in their role as soil organisms; a notable exception is B. anthracis, which causes anthrax. Some bacilli produce medically useful antibiotics.

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. (pl. bacilli) 1 any rod-shaped bacterium. 2 (usu. in pl.) any pathogenic bacterium. Etymology: LL, dimin. of L baculus stick

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Bacillus Ba*cil"lus, n.; pl. Bacilli. [NL., for L. bacillum. See Bacillarle.] (Biol.) A variety of bacterium; a microscopic, rod-shaped vegetable organism.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(bacilli) A bacillus is any bacterium that has a long, thin shape. N-COUNT

Moby Thesaurus

adenovirus, aerobe, aerobic bacteria, amoeba, anaerobe, anaerobic bacteria, bacteria, bacterium, bug, coccus, disease-producing microorganism, echovirus, enterovirus, filterable virus, fungus, germ, gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, microbe, microorganism, mold, nonfilterable virus, pathogen, picornavirus, protozoa, protozoon, reovirus, rhinovirus, rickettsia, spirillum, spirochete, spore, staphylococcus, streptococcus, trypanosome, vibrio, virus