archaebacteria
[ ahr-kee-bak-teer-ee-uh ]
/ ˌɑr ki bækˈtɪər i ə /
plural noun, singular ar·chae·bac·te·ri·um [ahr-kee-bak-teer-ee-uh m] /ˌɑr ki bækˈtɪər i əm/.
a group of microorganisms, including the methanogens and certain halophiles and thermoacidophiles, that have RNA sequences, coenzymes, and a cell wall composition that are different from all other organisms: considered to be an ancient form of life that evolved separately from the bacteria and blue-green algae and sometimes classified as a kingdom.
Nearby words
arch-, arch., arch. e., archaea, archaean, archaebacteria, archaebacterium, archaeo-, archaeoastronomy, archaeobotany, archaeocyathid
Also ar·chae·o·bac·te·ri·a [ahr-kee-oh-bak-teer-ee-uh] /ˌɑr ki oʊ bækˈtɪər i ə/.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
British Dictionary definitions for archaebacteria
archaebacteria
/ (ˌɑːkɪbækˈtɪərɪə) /
pl n
(formerly) a group of microorganisms now regarded as members of the ArchaeaSee archaean
Word Origin for archaebacteria
from archaeo- + bacteria
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
Science definitions for archaebacteria
archaebacterium
[ är′kē-băk-tîr′ē-əm ]
Plural archaebacteria
A former name for archaeon.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.