bacteriology

American  

[bak-teer-ee-ol-uh-jee] / bækˌtɪər iˈɒl ə dʒi /

noun

1. a branch of microbiology dealing with the identification, study, and cultivation of bacteria and with their applications in medicine, agriculture, industry, and biotechnology.

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bacteriology British  

/ bækˌtɪərɪˈɒlədʒɪ /

noun

1. the branch of science concerned with the study of bacteria

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bacteriology Scientific  

/ băk-tîr′ē-ŏl′ə-jē /

1. The scientific study of bacteria, especially bacteria that cause disease.

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Other Word Forms

• bacteriologist
  noun
• bacteriologic
  adjective
• bacteriological
  adjective
• bacteriologically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of bacteriology

First recorded in 1880–85; bacterio- + -logy

Explanation

Bacteriology is the science of certain single-celled microorganisms, both the harmful ones that cause diseases and the helpful ones in yogurt and kimchi. Bacteriology is formed by adding the suffix -ology, or "science," to bacteria, whose root means "staff," from the shape of the earliest bacteria viewed through a microscope. This branch of biology focuses on every aspect of bacteria, particularly the way medicine can be used to prevent and cure bacterial diseases.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

bacteriology

In one assignment to test students' ability to evaluate scientific arguments, Paustian, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison's bacteriology department, was suspicious that they might simply copy the instructions into a chatbot.

From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026

"ImP-producing bacteria are present in a large fraction of people, but they're not very abundant in most people," says Rey, a UW-Madison professor of bacteriology.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 3, 2026

After high school she studied medical technology and then started working in bacteriology.

From New York Times ● Jun. 11, 2023

“When you talk about carbon cycles you really want to start thinking carefully about decomposers,” said Anne Pringle, a professor of botany and bacteriology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 30, 2021

By now the new science of bacteriology, pioneered by Robert Koch and Louis Pasteur, had convinced most public health officials that contaminated drinking water caused the spread of cholera and other bacterial diseases.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson