spirochete

or spi·ro·chaete

[spahy-ruh-keet]

noun

any of various spiral-shaped motile bacteria of the family Spirochaetaceae, certain species, as Treponema, Leptospira, and Borrelia, being pathogenic to humans and other animals, and other species being free-living, saprophytic, or parasitic.

Origin of spirochete

1875–80; < New Latin spīrochaeta. See spiro-², chaeta-

Related formsspi·ro·chet·al, spi·ro·che·tic, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for spirochete

Historical Examples

By far the most important of these is the spirillum or spirochete of Obermeier, which has been already carefully described.
A System of Practical Medicine by American Authors, Vol. I
Various

Word Origin and History for spirochete

n.

1877, from Modern Latin Spirochæta, the genus name, from spiro- Modern Latin comb. form of Greek speira "a coil" (see spiral) + Greek khaite "hair" (see chaeto-).

spirochete in Medicine

spirochete

(spī′rə-kēt′)

Any of various slender, spiral, motile bacteria of the order Spirochaetales, many of which are pathogenic, causing syphilis, relapsing fever, yaws, and other diseases.

spirochete in Science