Definition of bacteria Bacteria

/bæktɪˈɹiʌ/ - [baktireeu] - bac•te•ri•a

We found 11 definitions of bacteria from 6 different sources.

What does bacteria mean?

WordNet

Noun Plural: bacteria
bacteria - (microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants
		bacterium
		micro-organism, microorganism any organism of microscopic size
		microbiology the branch of biology that studies microorganisms and their effects on humans
		acidophil, acidophile an organism that thrives in a relatively acid environment
		probiotic, probiotic bacterium, probiotic flora, probiotic microflora a beneficial bacterium found in the intestinal tract of healthy mammals; often considered to be a plant
		bacteroid a rodlike bacterium (especially any of the rod-shaped or branched bacteria in the root nodules of nitrogen-fixing plants)
		eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls; motile types have flagella
		calymmatobacterium, genus calymmatobacterium a genus of bacterial rods containing only the one species that causes granuloma inguinale
		francisella, genus francisella a genus of Gram-negative aerobic bacteria that occur as pathogens and parasite in many animals (including humans)
		gonococcus, neisseria gonorrhoeae the pus-producing bacterium that causes gonorrhea
		legionella, legionella pneumophilia the motile aerobic rod-shaped Gram-negative bacterium that thrives in central heating and air conditioning systems and can cause Legionnaires' disease
		nitrobacterium any of the bacteria in the soil that take part in the nitrogen cycle; they oxidize ammonium compounds into nitrites or oxidize nitrites into nitrates
		penicillin-resistant bacteria bacteria that are unaffected by penicillin
		pus-forming bacteria bacteria that produce pus
		rod any rod-shaped bacterium
		diplococcus Gram-positive bacteria usually occurring in pairs
		superbug a strain of pest accidentally imported into Florida from the Middle East then spread to California where it is a very serious pest feeding on almost all vegetable crops and poinsettias

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Wiktionary

bacteria (Noun)
Plural of bacterium.
bacteria (Noun)
A type, species, or strain of bacterium.
bacteria (Noun)
A derisive term for a lowlife or a slob could be treated as plural or singular.
bacteria (Noun)
An oval bacterium, as distinguished from a spherical coccus or rod-shaped bacillus.

Webster DictionaryWebster's Unabridged Dictionary 📘

bacteria (n.p.)
See Bacterium.
bacteria (pl. )
of Bacterium

OmegaWiki DictionaryOmegaWiki Dictionary Ω

bacteria
Group of single-cell micro-organisms, the smallest of the living organisms. Some are vital to sustain life, while others are responsible for causing highly dangerous human diseases, such as anthrax, tetanus and tuberculosis. Bacteria are found everywhere, in the soil, water and air.\n(Source: MGH / WRIGHT)
bacteria
Character of the Asterix comic strips, wife of Unhygienix.

Wikipedia

Bacteria (one of them is a bacterium) are very small organisms (living things). They are so tiny they can be seen only through a microscope. Bacteria are made up of just one cell, so they are a kind of "unicellular organism". They are among the simplest single-cell organisms on earth, where they have been living for many billions of years.

There are more individual bacteria than any other sort of organism on the planet. Most bacteria live in the ground or in water, but many live inside or on the skin of other organisms, including humans. There are about ten times as many bacterial cells as human cells in each of our bodies. Some bacteria can cause diseases, but others help us in everyday activities like eating, digesting food and absorbing oxygen. Some even work for us in factories, producing cheese and yoghurt.

A bacterium reproduces (creates more bacteria) by dividing in half and creating two "child" cells. Each child is identical in shape to the parent, but smaller.

They vary widely in size and shape, but in general are at least ten times larger than viruses. A typical bacterium is about 1 µm (one micrometer) in diameter, so a thousand bacteria lined up would be one millimeter long.

Bacteria are identified and grouped by their shapes. The bacilli are rod-shaped, the cocci are ball-shaped and the spirilla are spiral-shaped.

Pathogenic bacteria, the harmful kind, enter the human body from the air, water or food. Once inside, these bacteria attach themselves to or invade spec