spirillum

[spahy-ril-uh m]

noun, plural spi·ril·la [spahy-ril-uh] /spaɪˈrɪl ə/. Bacteriology.

any of several spirally twisted, aerobic bacteria of the genus Spirillum, certain species of which are pathogenic for humans.

any of various similar microorganisms.

Origin of spirillum

1870–75; < New Latin, equivalent to Latin spīr(a) (see spire²) + -illum diminutive suffix

Related formsspi·ril·lar, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for spirilla

Historical Examples of spirilla

As early as 1873, spirilla were demonstrated in relapsing fever.
The Evolution of Modern Medicine
William Osler
The same takes place with the spirilla of recurrent typhus and the microbe of erysipelas.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, January 1900
Various
When division occurs in one plane only, the possible groupings are the same as among the spirilla or bacilli.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology
Charles Bradfield Morrey
These terms are rarely used, since spirilla do not ordinarily remain attached.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology
Charles Bradfield Morrey
Division might occur in one plane only as in spirilla and bacilli, or in two planes only or in all three planes.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology
Charles Bradfield Morrey

British Dictionary definitions for spirilla

spirillum

noun plural -la (-lə)

any bacterium having a curved or spirally twisted rodlike bodyCompare coccus (def. 1), bacillus (def. 1)

any bacterium of the genus Spirillum, such as S. minus, which causes ratbite fever

Derived Formsspirillar, adjective

Word Origin for spirillum

C19: from New Latin, literally: a little coil, from spīra a coil

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

Word Origin and History for spirilla