enterobacteria

[ en-tuh-roh-bak-teer-ee-uh ]

plural noun

, singular en·ter·o·bac·te·ri·um [en-t, uh, -roh-bak-, teer, -ee-, uh, m].

1. rod-shaped Gram-negative bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae, as those of the genera Escherichia, Salmonella, and Shigella, occurring normally or pathogenically in the intestines of humans and other animals, and the genus Erwinia, occurring in plants.

Other Words From

• enter·o·bac·teri·al adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of enterobacteria¹

First recorded in 1950–55; entero- + bacteria