mycobacteria

[ mahy-koh-bak-teer-ee-uh ]

/ ˌmaɪ koʊ bækˈtɪər i ə /

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plural noun, singular my·co·bac·te·ri·um

[mahy-koh-bak-teer-ee-uhm]. /ˌmaɪ koʊ bækˈtɪər i əm/. Bacteriology.

rod-shaped aerobic bacteria of the genus Mycobacterium, certain species of which, as M. tuberculosis, are pathogenic for humans and animals.

QUIZ

QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!

Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.

Question 1 of 7

“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.

Origin of mycobacteria

First recorded in 1905–10; from New Latin, a genus name; see origin at myco-, bacteria

my·co·bac·te·ri·al, noun, adjective