klebsiella

[ kleb-zee-el-uh, klep-see- ]

/ ˌklɛb ziˈɛl ə, ˌklɛp si- /

noun Bacteriology.

any of several rod-shaped, aerobic bacteria of the genus Klebsiella, certain species of which, as K. pneumoniae, are found in the respiratory, intestinal, and genitourinary tracts of humans and animals and are sometimes pathogenic.

Nearby words

klaxon, kleagle, klebs, klebs, edwin, klebs-löffler bacillus, klebsiella, klebsiella pneumoniae, klee, klee, paul, kleenex, kleiber

Origin of klebsiella

< New Latin (1885), after E. Klebs; see -ella

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for klebsiella

klebsiella

/ (ˌklɛbzɪˈɛlə) /

noun

a Gram-negative bacteria found in the respiratory, intestinal, and urinogenital tracts of humans and animals, which can cause pneumonia and urinary infections

Word Origin for klebsiella

C20: after Edwin Klebs (1834–913), German bacteriologist

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

Medicine definitions for klebsiella

Klebsiella

[ klĕb′zē-ĕl′ə ]

n.

A genus of bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae containing nonmotile, gram-negative, frequently encapsulated rods that are arranged singly, in pairs, or in short chains. It includes some human pathogens.