coccus

[ kok-uhs ]

/ ˈkɒk əs /

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noun, plural coc·ci

[kok-sahy, -see]. /ˈkɒk saɪ, -si/.

Bacteriology. a spherical bacterium.

Botany. one of the carpels of a schizocarp.

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Origin of coccus

1755–65; <New Latin <Greek kókkos grain, seed, berry

OTHER WORDS FROM coccus

coccal, coc·cic

[kok-sik], /ˈkɒk sɪk/, adjectivecoccous, adjective

Other definitions for coccus (2 of 2)

-coccus

a combining form representing coccus in compound words: streptococcus.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use coccus in a sentence

They are all species or varieties of the Linnean order Hemiptera, and genus Coccus.
The different modes of cultivating the pine-apple|John Claudius Loudon
A bacillus, however short, can usually be distinguished from a coccus in that two sides are parallel.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
The Polish kermes (Coccus polonicus) was formerly used very much in Europe.
The Insect World|Louis Figuier
The Coccus sinensis produces a kind of wax which is employed in China in the manufacture of candles.
The Insect World|Louis Figuier

The principal varieties of kermes are the coccus quercus, the coccus polonicus, the coccus fragariæ, and the coccus uva ursi.
A Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures and Mines|Andrew Ure

British Dictionary definitions for coccus

coccus

/ (ˈkɒkəs) /

noun plural -ci (-saɪ)

any spherical or nearly spherical bacterium, such as a staphylococcusCompare bacillus (def. 1), spirillum (def. 1)

the part of a fruit that contains one seed and separates from the whole fruit at maturity

any of the scale insects of the genus Coccus

Derived forms of coccus

coccoid, coccal or coccic (ˈkɒksɪk), adjectivecoccous, adjective

Word Origin for coccus

C18: from New Latin, from Greek kokkos berry, grain

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for coccus

coccus

[ kŏk′əs ]

Plural cocci (kŏk′sī, kŏk′ī)

Any of various bacteria having a round or ovoid form such as streptococcus or staphylococcus, usually grouped in chains.