spirochete

American  

[spahy-ruh-keet] / ˈspaɪ rəˌkit /

Or spirochaete

noun

1. any of various spiral-shaped motile bacteria of the phylum Spirochaetes, distinguished by twisting flagella that run lengthwise between the bacterium’s inner and outer membranes, and inclusive of the family Spirochaetaceae, noted for certain pathogenic species that cause Lyme disease, syphilis, and other illnesses.

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spirochete Scientific  

/ spī′rə-kēt′ /

1. Any of various bacteria of the order Spirochaetales that are shaped like a spiral, such as Treponema pallidum, the pathogen that causes syphilis.

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Other Word Forms

• spirochetal
  adjective
• spirochetic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of spirochete

First recorded in 1875–80; < New Latin spīrochaeta. See spiro- ², chaeta ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does spirochete compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• spirillum vs. spirochete

Example Sentences

Hardly any bears have eaten people , and less than 2 percent of tick bites transmit the Lyme spirochete.

From Washington Post • Aug. 30, 2018

The spirochete that causes syphilis, which is similar, was discovered in 1905 and is still virtually impossible to grow in the lab.

From Nature • Feb. 15, 2016

I'm not in Kansas, I just turned myself into a spirochete!

From Time • Jan. 22, 2013

Although modern research suggests that cranberries can be a potent antimicrobial, that might not have been enough to slay the spirochete.

From Slate • Nov. 20, 2012

Better established is Lyme disease, caused by a spirochete that we get from the bite of ticks carried by mice and deer.

From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond