listeria
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of listeria
Explanation
Listeria is a bacteria that can contaminate food and make people very sick. In pregnant and elderly people, the infection caused by listeria is particularly dangerous. Infants and people with compromised immune systems are also especially vulnerable to listeriosis, the infection that the listeria bacteria can cause. The most serious cases can lead to blood infection and meningitis. Hand washing and thoroughly cooking raw food can help prevent the growth of listeria, and susceptible people can stay safe by avoiding certain foods, including soft cheese and raw hot dogs. Listeria is named in honor of the groundbreaking early 20th-century bacteriologist Joseph Lister.
Vocabulary lists containing listeria
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Trader Joe’s had 10 product recalls in 2025 affecting items like peaches, turkey wraps, and Cajun-style fettuccini alfredo, all recalled due to possible listeria contamination, according to a list on the company’s website.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 25, 2026
Of course, safety issues abound in commercial dog food, too, where recalls for salmonella and listeria contamination are fairly common.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026
It is rare for food contaminated by listeria, a bacterium, to cause a very serious infection, known as listeriosis.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
You might recognize the name listeria from the massive outbreak earlier this year linked to contaminated Boar’s Head meats.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2025
Member’s Mark Freeze-Dried Fruit Variety Packs from Sam’s Club have been recalled due to potential listeria contamination.
From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2025
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
