bacterioid
|bac-te-ri-oid|
/ˌbæk.təˈrɔɪd/
resembling a bacterium
Etymology
'bacterioid' is a modern formation from 'bacterium' (New Latin, from Greek 'bakterion' meaning 'small staff' or 'rod') plus the Greek-derived suffix '-oid' (from Greek 'oeidēs') meaning 'resembling' or 'like'.
'bacterium' itself comes from Greek 'bakterion' ('bakterion') meaning 'small staff/rod'; English formations using the suffix '-oid' (via Latin/Greek morphological patterns) produced 'bacterioid' to denote 'bacterium-like' forms. The related spelling 'bacteroid' has been used interchangeably in scientific literature.
Initially it meant simply 'resembling a bacterium'; over time it has been specialized in biology to refer both to any bacterium-like structure and to specific differentiated forms of symbiotic bacteria (e.g., rhizobial forms in root nodules).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an organism or structure that resembles a bacterium; in microbiology, a differentiated, often swollen, bacterium-like form (often used for nitrogen-fixing forms of rhizobia in root nodules).
In the infected root cell the symbiotic bacteria develop into a single enlarged bacterioid that fixes nitrogen.
Synonyms
Adjective 1
resembling or characteristic of bacteria; bacterial in appearance or form.
The sample contained bacterioid bodies that stained like bacteria under the microscope.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/28 23:20