Klebs-Löffler bacillus

[ klebz-lef-ler; German kleyps-lœf-luhr ]

noun

1. a bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, which causes diphtheria.

Klebs-Löffler bacillus

/ ˈklɛbzˈlʌflə; ˈkleːpsˈlœflər /

noun

1. a rodlike Gram-positive bacterium, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, that causes diphtheria: family Corynebacteriaceae.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Klebs-Löffler bacillus¹

First recorded in 1890–95; named after E. Klebs and F. A. J. Löffler ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of Klebs-Löffler bacillus¹

C19: named after Edwin Klebs (1834–1913) and Friedrich A. J. Löffler (1852–1915), German bacteriologists