halobacteria

[hal-oh-bak-teer-ee-uh]

plural noun, singular hal·o·bac·te·ri·um

[hal-oh-bak-teer-ee-uh m] /ˌhæl oʊ bækˈtɪər i əm/.

rod-shaped archaebacteria, as of the genera Halobacterium and Halococcus, occurring in saline environments as the Dead Sea, salt flats, and brine, and using the pigment bacteriorhodopsin rather than chlorophyll for photosynthesis.

Origin of halobacteria

1975–80; halo- + bacteria; compare New Latin Halobacterium a genus of such bacteria

Also called hal·o·bac·ters

[hal-oh-bak-terz] /ˈhæl oʊˌbæk tərz/.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018