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

See Examples For:

E. coli

Of these, 16 proved effective at killing E. coli bacteria.

From BBC ● Aug. 6, 2026

Researchers tested ruptoblasts against E. coli bacteria, human kidney cells, and mouse blood cells.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026

He helped steer the company through the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as a 2024 outbreak of E. coli tied to onions served on the company’s Quarter Pounders.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

McDonald’s Quarter Pounders have been linked to a multi-state E. coli outbreak that has killed at least one, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026

Jacob worked at the other end of the attic, experimenting with a virus that infected E. coli.

From "The Gene" by Siddhartha Mukherjee