coccus
Bacteriology. a spherical bacterium.
Botany. one of the carpels of a schizocarp.
Origin of coccus
1Other words from coccus
- coccal, coc·cic [kok-sik], /ˈkɒk sɪk/, adjective
- coccous, adjective
Other definitions for -coccus (2 of 2)
a combining form representing coccus in compound words: streptococcus.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
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 LoudonA bacillus, however short, can usually be distinguished from a coccus in that two sides are parallel.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique | John William Henry EyreThe Polish kermes (coccus polonicus) was formerly used very much in Europe.
The Insect World | Louis FiguierThe coccus sinensis produces a kind of wax which is employed in China in the manufacture of candles.
The Insect World | Louis FiguierThe 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
/ (ˈkɒkəs) /
any spherical or nearly spherical bacterium, such as a staphylococcus: Compare 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
Origin of coccus
1Derived forms of coccus
- coccoid, coccal or coccic (ˈkɒksɪk), adjective
- coccous, adjective
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
[ kŏk′əs ]
Any of various bacteria having a round or ovoid form such as streptococcus or staphylococcus, usually grouped in chains.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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