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shigella

American  
[shi-gel-uh] / ʃɪˈgɛl ə /

noun

Bacteriology.

plural

shigellae, shigellas
  1. any of several rod-shaped aerobic bacteria of the genus Shigella, certain species of which are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals.


shigella British  
/ ʃɪˈɡɛlə /

noun

  1. any rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium of the genus Shigella ; some species cause dysentery

"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

Etymology

Origin of shigella

< New Latin (1918), after Kiyoshi Shiga (1870–1957), Japanese scientist; see -ella

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.

Since 1 October, the agency has identified 118 cases of shigella and 43 of salmonella linked to trips to the West African archipelago.

From BBC • Feb. 5, 2026

Others had died from outbreaks of Covid-19, shigella and hepatitis A.

From New York Times • May 13, 2023

Making available relatively clean and safe facilities promotes bladder and bowel health and prevents the spread of infectious diseases such as hepatitis A, shigella and influenza.

From Los Angeles Times • May 8, 2023

The county Board of Health issued advisories last year for outbreaks of rare diseases such as shigella and Bartonella quintana, known as “trench fever” when it spread among World War I soldiers.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 19, 2019

In most cases, rest and fluids do the trick, but antibiotic-resistant shigella strains are also out there, making some cases require heavy-duty treatment.

From Scientific American • Jul. 21, 2017