Gram-positive

[ gram-poz-i-tiv ]

adjective(often lowercase)
  1. (of bacteria) retaining the violet dye when stained by Gram's method.

Origin of Gram-positive

1
First recorded in 1905–10; see origin at Gram's method

Words Nearby Gram-positive

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How to use Gram-positive in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for Gram-positive

Gram-positive

adjective
  1. designating bacteria that retain the violet stain in Gram's method

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 gram-positive

gram-positive

  1. Relating to a group of bacteria that turn a dark-blue color when subjected to a laboratory staining method known as Gram's method. Gram-positive bacteria have relatively thick cell walls and are generally sensitive to the destructive effects of antibiotics or the actions of the body's immune cells. Gram-positive bacteria include beneficial nitrogen-fixing bacteria in soil, as well as the bacteria that cause anthrax, botulism, leprosy, tuberculosis, scarlet fever, and strep throat. Compare gram-negative.

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