bacillus

[ buh-sil-uh s ]

/ bəˈsɪl əs /

SEE SYNONYMS FOR bacillus ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural ba·cil·li [buh-sil-ahy] /bəˈsɪl aɪ/.

any rod-shaped or cylindrical bacterium of the genus Bacillus, comprising spore-producing bacteria.

(formerly) any bacterium.

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Fend Off Sciolism With This Word Of The Day Quiz

Are you the Cinderella of this week’s quiz? Test your memory on the words and definitions from March 23–29.

Question 1 of 7

schlep

to say or do hesitantly or awkwardly

to fold or wind around something

to carry; lug

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Origin of bacillus

1880–85; < Late Latin, variant of Latin bacillum (diminutive of baculum) staff, walking stick

Words nearby bacillus

bacilli, bacilliform, bacillin, bacillosis, bacilluria, bacillus, bacillus calmette-guérin, bacillus cereus, bacillus sphaericus, bacillus thuringiensis, bacitracin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for bacillus

Anthrax, or Bacillus anthracis, is spore-forming bacteria found in soil that most commonly affects cattle.
CDC: 80 May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax|Abby Haglage|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Might Stevens have encountered spores of Bacillus anthracis during a recent hike through woods in North Carolina?
The Mirage Man by David Willman: Anthrax Attacker Bruce Ivins' Obsessions||June 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST
Bacillus cuenoti Mercier, bactéroide de Periplaneta orientalis, à la morphologie d'une bactérie.
The Biotic Associations of Cockroaches|Louis M. Roth
Cream ripened with common bacteria found in hay dust (Bacillus subtilis) gives a very undesirable flavor to butter.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, December 1899|Various

The thought of the bacillus made the pages seem colourless; it dwarfed all meaning in the words.
The Blue Germ|Martin Swayne
Of course I didn't examine for the bacillus, but it isn't there.
Heart of the West|O. Henry
Bacillus rosii is a brown, wingless form found in Italy and the south of France.
The Young Collector's Handbook of Ants, Bees, Dragon-flies, Earwigs, Crickets, and Flies|W. Harcourt Bath

British Dictionary definitions for bacillus

bacillus

/ (bəˈsɪləs) /

noun plural -cilli (-ˈsɪlaɪ)

any rod-shaped bacterium, such as a clostridium bacteriumCompare coccus (def. 2), spirillum (def. 1)

any of various rodlike spore-producing bacteria constituting the family Bacillaceae, esp of the genus Bacillus

Word Origin for bacillus

C19: from Latin: a small staff, from baculum walking stick

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

Medical definitions for bacillus (1 of 2)

bacillus

[ bə-sĭl′əs ]

n. pl. ba•cil•li (-sĭl′ī′)

Any of various rod-shaped, usually gram-positive aerobic bacteria of the genus Bacillus that often occur in chains and include Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax.

Any of various bacteria, especially a rod-shaped bacterium.

Medical definitions for bacillus (2 of 2)

Bacillus

n.

A genus of rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria capable of producing endospores.

Scientific definitions for bacillus

bacillus

[ bə-sĭl′əs ]

Plural bacilli (bə-sĭl′ī′)

Any of various pathogenic bacteria, especially one that is rod-shaped.

bacillus

noun, plural ba·cil·li [buh-sil-ahy] /bəˈsɪl aɪ/.

QUIZZES

Origin of bacillus

Words nearby bacillus

Words related to bacillus

Example sentences from the Web for bacillus

British Dictionary definitions for bacillus

noun plural -cilli (-ˈsɪlaɪ)

Word Origin for bacillus

Medical definitions for bacillus (1 of 2)

n. pl. ba•cil•li (-sĭl′ī′)

Medical definitions for bacillus (2 of 2)

n.

Scientific definitions for bacillus

Plural bacilli (bə-sĭl′ī′)