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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

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
[ kŏkəs ]

Plural cocci (kŏksī, kŏkī)
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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