Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for Escherichia coli. Search instead for Escherichia+Coli.

Escherichia coli

American  
[esh-uh-rik-ee-uh koh-lahy] / ˌɛʃ əˈrɪk i ə ˈkoʊ laɪ /

noun

Bacteriology.
  1. E. coli.


Etymology

Origin of Escherichia coli

From New Latin; named after Theodor Escherich (died 1911), German physician + coli, genitive singular of Latin colon “large intestine,” used as a specific epithet for Escherichia; see -ia colon 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The microbe used by Stephen Wallace, professor of chemical biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh, was Escherichia coli, better known as E. coli.

From BBC • Sep. 25, 2025

Water quality samples collected near the Camp Richardson Resort revealed elevated levels of Escherichia coli, commonly known as E. coli, according to the U.S.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2025

They found 79 disrupted bacterial membranes and 63 specifically targeted antibiotic-resistant bacteria such as Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli.

From Science Daily • Jun. 5, 2024

A previous study on mice found that green tea extract can inhibit the growth of pathogens, including Escherichia coli.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2024

The organisms on its hit list included strains of Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli and other pathogens that have become resistant to most antibiotics currently available.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 15, 2024

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Look it up. Learn it forever.

Remember "Escherichia coli" for good with VocabTrainer. Expand your vocabulary effortlessly with personalized learning tools that adapt to your goals.

Take me to Vocabulary.com