Legionella

[ lee-juh-nel-uh ]

/ ˌli dʒəˈnɛl ə /

noun

a genus of rod- or coccus-shaped aerobic Gram-negative bacteria, certain species of which, as L. pneumophila, produce legionnaires' disease.

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Origin of Legionella

< New Latin (1979), after legionnaires' disease; see -ella

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

British Dictionary definitions for legionella

legionella

/ (ˌliːdʒəˈnɛlə) /

noun plural -lae (-ˌliː)

any Gram-negative rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Legionella, including L. pneumophila, which causes legionnaire's disease

Word Origin for legionella

C20: New Latin, diminutive of legion, as in legionnaire's disease

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 legionella

Legionella

[ lē′jə-nĕl′ə ]

n.

A genus of gram-negative bacilli that includes the species that causes Legionnaires' disease.