pneumococcus

[ noo-muh-kok-uhs, nyoo‑ ]

noun

, plural pneu·mo·coc·ci [noo-m, uh, -, kok, -sahy, ‑see, nyoo‑].

1. a bacterium, Diplococcus pneumoniae, causing lobar pneumonia and associated with certain other diseases, as pericarditis and meningitis.

pneumococcus

/ ˌnjuːməʊˈkɒkəs /

noun

1. a spherical bacterium that occurs in the respiratory tract, esp the Gram-positive Diplococcus pneumoniae, which causes pneumonia

Derived Forms

• ˌpneumoˈcoccal, adjective

Other Words From

• pneu·mo·coc·cal [noo-m, uh, -, kok, -, uh, l, nyoo‑], pneu·mo·coc·cic [noo-m, uh, -, kok, -sik, nyoo‑], pneu·mo·coc·cous [noo-m, uh, -, kok, -, uh, s, nyoo‑], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pneumococcus¹

From New Latin, dating back to 1885–90; pneumo- none, -coccus none

Example Sentences

Recognition of the pneumococcus depends upon its morphology, the fact that it is Gram-staining, and the presence of a capsule.

From Project Gutenberg

By far the most frequent exciting causes of acute otitis media are the pneumococcus and the streptococcus.

From Project Gutenberg

Various organisms have been found in other forms of meningitis—the pneumococcus most frequently.

From Project Gutenberg

The bacteria were chiefly staphylococci, rarely the pneumococcus or the micrococcus catarrhalis.

From Project Gutenberg

Cultivations from the heart blood gave a pure growth of a typical (capsulated) pneumococcus.

From Project Gutenberg