bacillus

[buh-sil-uh s] /bəˈsɪl əs/

noun, plural bacilli

[buh-sil-ahy] /bəˈsɪl aɪ/ (Show IPA)

any rod-shaped or cylindrical bacterium of the genus Bacillus, comprising spore-producing bacteria.

(formerly) any bacterium.

Origin

1880-85; < Late Latin, variant of Latin bacillum (diminutive of baculum) staff, walking stick

Examples from the web for bacillus

By parasitism next comes the proto-bacillus or fungus, living on the green cells.
But his nervous system had begun to be affected through the toxins evolved by the bacillus of his disease.
However, humans, whales and magnolia trees are more complex than a bacillus.

British Dictionary definitions for bacillus

bacillus

/bəˈsɪləs/

noun (pl) -cilli (-ˈsɪlaɪ)

any rod-shaped bacterium, such as a clostridium bacterium Compare coccus (sense 2), spirillum (sense 1)

any of various rodlike spore-producing bacteria constituting the family Bacillaceae, esp of the genus Bacillus

Word Origin

C19: from Latin: a small staff, from baculum walking stick

Word Origin and History for bacillus

1877, medical Latin, from Late Latin bacillus "wand," literally "little staff," diminutive of baculum "a stick," from PIE root *bak- "staff," also source of Greek bakterion (see bacteria). Introduced as a term in bacteriology 1853 by German botanist Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898).

bacillus in Medicine

bacillus ba·cil·lus (bə-sĭl'əs)
n. pl. ba·cil·li (-sĭl'ī')

Any of various rod-shaped, usually gram-positive aerobic bacteria of the genus Bacillus that often occur in chains and include Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax.
Any of various bacteria, especially a rod-shaped bacterium.

Bacillus (bə-sĭl'əs)
n.
A genus of rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria capable of producing endospores.

bacillus in Science

bacillus

(bə-sĭl'əs)
Plural bacilli (bə-sĭl'ī')
Any of various pathogenic bacteria, especially one that is rod-shaped.