bacterium

bacterium
\ \ [19] Bacterium was coined in the 1840s from Greek baktérion, a diminutive of báktronstick’, on the basis that the originally discovered bacteria were rod-shaped. At first it was sometimes anglicized to bactery, but the Latin form has prevailed. Related, but a later introduction, is bacillus [19]: this is a diminutive of Latin baculumstick’, and the term was again inspired by the microorganism’s shape. Latin baculum is also responsible, via Italian bacchio and its diminutive form bacchetta, for the long French loaf, the baguette.
\ \ Cf.BACILLUS, BAGUETTE, DÉBACLE, IMBECILE

Word origins - 2ed. . 2005.

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  • Bacterium — Bac*te ri*um (b[a^]k*t[=e] r[i^]*[u^]m), n.; pl. {Bacteria} (b[a^]k*t[=e] r[i^]*[.a]). [NL., fr. Gr. bakth rion, ba ktron, a staff: cf. F. bact[ e]rie.] (Biol.) A microscopic single celled organism having no distinguishable nucleus, belonging to… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • Bacterĭum — Duj., s. Bacillus …   Meyers Großes Konversations-Lexikon

  • Bacterium — vgl. Bakterie …   Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke

  • bacterium — c.1848, singular of BACTERIA (Cf. bacteria) (q.v.) …   Etymology dictionary

  • BACTERIUM — COIil COMMUNE быть обнаружены в желчи. При непосредственном введении бактерий в портальную систему печень может совершенно не пропускать их в общий круг кровообращения, выбрасывая их через желчь в кишечник; при повреждении же печени бактерии в… …   Большая медицинская энциклопедия

  • bacterium — *germ, microbe, bacillus, virus …   New Dictionary of Synonyms

  • bacterium — is a singular noun and its plural is bacteria. Erroneous uses of bacteria as a singular noun are regrettably common in newspapers: • A common gut bacteria may be a major cause of rheumatoid arthritis Independent, 1991 …   Modern English usage

  • bacterium — [bak tir′ē əm] n. sing. of BACTERIA …   English World dictionary

  • Bacterium — A single celled microorganism which can exist either as an independent (free living) organism or as a parasite (dependent upon another organism for life). Examples include: {{}}Acidophilus, a normal inhabitant of yogurt, Chlamydia, which causes… …   Medical dictionary

  • bacterium — [19] Bacterium was coined in the 1840s from Greek baktérion, a diminutive of bad 46 báktron ‘stick’, on the basis that the originally discovered bacteria were rod shaped. At first it was sometimes anglicized to bactery, but the Latin form has… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

  • bacterium — [[t]bæktɪ͟ərɪʊm[/t]] Bacterium is the singular of bacteria …   English dictionary

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