Dictionary.com

spirillum

[ spahy-ril-uhm ]
/ spaɪˈrɪl əm /
Save This Word!

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.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of spirillum

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

OTHER WORDS FROM spirillum

spi·ril·lar, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use spirillum in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for spirillum

spirillum
/ (spaɪˈrɪləm) /

noun plural -la (-lÉ™)
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 forms of spirillum

spirillar, 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

Scientific definitions for spirillum

spirillum
[ spī-rĭl′əm ]

Plural spirilla
Any of various bacteria that are shaped like a spiral, such as the spirochete Treponema pallidum, which causes syphilis.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK