pilus
Americannoun
-
pili
plural
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of pilus
Borrowed into English from Latin around 1955–60
Vocabulary lists containing pilus
Cell Biology - Middle School
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Cell Biology - High School
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Microbiology - High School
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
They observed how a phage called PP7 infects P. aeruginosa by attaching to the pilus, which then retracts and pulls the phage to the cell surface.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2024
"In our study of Pseudomonas, we were able to explain much more about what exactly is going on, including the force and speed of pilus detachment, and understand why and how this happens."
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2024
In conjugation, DNA is transferred from one prokaryote to another by means of a pilus, which brings the organisms into contact with one another.
From Textbooks ● Jun. 9, 2022
Illustration C shows two bacteria connected by a pilus.
From Textbooks ● Jan. 1, 2015
As each pilus gets tugged the bacterium staggers and stumbles, moving randomly across the surface.
From US News ● Oct. 8, 2010
Some phages make use of bacterial pili by attaching to them and allowing bacteria to reel the phage to the surface, where the phage can start infecting the bacteria.
From Science Daily ● Apr. 15, 2024
"The bacteria use their pili to bind to the sensor in several places, which allows them to hang on particularly well," says Terfort.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 25, 2024
Prof Helen Wallace is one of the world's leading authorities on the kenari, and its sister trees and nuts, the pili and galip.
From BBC ● Nov. 23, 2022
Key among these is the production of bacterial appendages called flagella and pili.
From Salon ● Sep. 21, 2022
Even the erector pili muscle and the sudoriparous gland are often found.
From Anomalies and Curiosities of Medicine by Walter L. (Walter Lytle) Pyle
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.
