E. coli

American  

[ee koh-lahy] / ˈi ˈkoʊ laɪ /

noun

Bacteriology.

1. Escherichia coli: a species of rod-shaped, facultatively anaerobic bacteria in the large intestine of humans and other animals, sometimes pathogenic.

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E. coli British  

/ ˌiːˈkəʊlaɪ /

noun

1. short for Escherichia coli; see Escherichia

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E. coli Scientific  

/ ēkō′lī /

1. A bacillus (Escherichia coli) normally found in the human gastrointestinal tract and occurring in numerous strains, some of which are responsible for diarrheal diseases. Other strains have important experimental uses in molecular biology.

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Etymology

Origin of E. coli

See Escherichia coli ( def. )

Example Sentences

The FDA has long warned against consuming raw, unpasteurized milk, citing risks of dangerous bacteria such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli that can lead to severe illness or, in rare cases, death.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 11, 2026

“Even within the food program, food chemical issues have largely taken a backseat to more traditional food safety issues, like food pathogens, E. coli and foodborne illness outbreaks.”

From Salon • Apr. 11, 2026

Centers for Disease Control has warned the public not to buy, sell or serve the company’s raw cheddar cheese, which five of those who had an E. coli infection say they ate before their illness.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 2, 2026

E. coli and salmonella are both well known causes of foodborne illness.

From Science Daily • Mar. 13, 2026

Officials were concerned about the spread of E. coli, the risk of typhoid fever, cholera, dysentery.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers