Gram-negative
[ gram-neg-uh-tiv ]
/ ˈgræmˈnɛg ə tɪv /
adjective (often lowercase)
(of bacteria) not retaining the violet dye when stained by Gram's method.
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Origin of Gram-negative
First recorded in 1905–10; see origin at Gram's method
Words nearby Gram-negative
grammatology, gram-meter, gram-molecular weight, gram molecule, Grammy, Gram-negative, Gramont, gramophone, grampa, Grampian, Grampian Mountains
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for Gram-negative
British Dictionary definitions for Gram-negative
Gram-negative
adjective
designating bacteria that fail to retain the violet stain in Gram's method
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 Gram-negative
gram-negative
adj.
Of, relating to, or being a bacterium that does not retain the violet stain used in Gram's method.
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Scientific definitions for Gram-negative
gram-negative
Relating to a group of bacteria that do not change color when subjected to the laboratory staining method known as Gram's method or Gram's stain. Gram-negative bacteria have relatively thin cell walls and are generally resistant to the effects of antibiotics or the actions of the body's immune cells. Gram-negative bacteria include E. coli and the bacteria that cause gonorrhea, typhoid fever, rickettsial fever, cholera, syphilis, plague, and Lyme disease. Compare gram-positive.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.