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.
It filed for bankruptcy earlier this year after a series of listeria outbreaks in its factories last year led Walmart—its largest customer—to end the relationship.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
HelloFresh used to get some ready-to-heat meals from FreshRealm but ended that relationship in the wake of the listeria problems, said a HelloFresh spokeswoman.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 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
Nate’s Fine Foods of Roseville, Calif., has recalled nearly 245,000 pounds of pre-cooked pasta linked to a deadly listeria outbreak and potential contamination of dozens of products.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 3, 2025
It is rare for food contaminated by listeria, a bacterium, to cause a very serious infection, known as listeriosis.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 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.
