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.
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
Individuals who may be experiencing symptoms of listeria infection, like fever, muscle aches and diarrhea, should contact their healthcare provider.
From Salon ● Jan. 16, 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
Fresh & Ready Foods voluntarily recalled several premade sandwiches and snacks after federal regulators found a strain of listeria linked to a 2024 outbreak.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2025
Earlier this month, Sam’s Club — owned by Walmart — also recalled several Kraft Heinz products for 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.
