bacilli
|ba-cil-li|
/bəˈsɪli/
(bacillus)
rod-shaped bacteria
Etymology
'bacillus' originates from Modern Latin, specifically the word 'bacillus', from Latin 'bacillum' (a diminutive of 'baculum'), where 'baculum' meant 'stick' or 'staff'.
'bacillus' developed from Latin 'bacillum' and entered scientific New Latin usage; English adopted the term as 'bacillus' with the Latin plural form 'bacilli' used for multiple organisms.
Initially it meant 'little stick' (a diminutive of 'stick/staff'), but over time it came to mean 'a rod-shaped bacterium' in scientific usage.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
plural of 'bacillus': rod-shaped bacteria (often referring to members of the genus Bacillus), some species of which can cause disease.
The samples contained several bacilli, some of which were resistant to common antibiotics.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/25 04:20