micrococcus

[ mahy-kruh-kok-uhs ]

/ ˌmaɪ krəˈkɒk əs /

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noun, plural mi·cro·coc·ci

[mahy-kruh-kok-sahy, -see]. /ˌmaɪ krəˈkɒk saɪ, -si/. Bacteriology.

any spherical bacterium of the genus Micrococcus, occurring in irregular masses, many species of which are pigmented and are saprophytic or parasitic.

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Origin of micrococcus

<New Latin (1872); see micro-, coccus

OTHER WORDS FROM micrococcus

mi·cro·coc·cal, mi·cro·coc·cic

[mahy-kruh-kok-sik], /ˌmaɪ krəˈkɒk sɪk/, adjective

Words nearby micrococcus

microcirculation, microclimate, microclimatology, microcline, Micrococcaceae, micrococcus, microcode, microcolon, microcomponent, microcomputer, microcomputing

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use micrococcus in a sentence

The bacteria were chiefly staphylococci, rarely the pneumococcus or the micrococcus catarrhalis.
The Treatment of Hay Fever|George Frederick Laidlaw
Cocci exhibit this movement, but with the exception of the Micrococcus agilis, the cocci are non-motile.
The Elements of Bacteriological Technique|John William Henry Eyre
This germ is closely related to Conn's micrococcus of bitter milk.
Outlines of Dairy Bacteriology, 8th edition|H. L. Russell
It is caused by minute bacteria (Micrococcus melitensis) and is a very infectious but not usually contagious disease.
Insects and Diseases|Rennie W. Doane

A specific micro-organism, the Micrococcus melitensis, was discovered in 1887, and it was traced to the milk of the Maltese goats.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 17, Slice 5|Various

British Dictionary definitions for micrococcus

micrococcus

/ (ˌmaɪkrəʊˈkɒkəs) /

noun plural -cocci (-ˈkɒksaɪ)

any spherical Gram-positive bacterium of the genus Micrococcus : family Micrococcaceae

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 micrococcus (1 of 2)

micrococcus

[ mī′krō-kŏk′əs ]

n. pl. mi•cro•coc•ci (-kŏk′sī′, -kŏk′ī′)

A bacterium of the genus Micrococcus.

Other words from micrococcus

mi′cro•coc′cal (-kŏk′əl) adj.

Medical definitions for micrococcus (2 of 2)

Micrococcus

A genus of aerobic, gram-positive, spherical bacteria that occur singly, in pairs, or in irregular masses and are saprophytic or parasitic but not pathogenic.