bacillus

[ buh-sil-uhs ]

/ bəˈsɪl əs /

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See synonyms for: bacillus / bacilli on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ba·cil·li

[buh-sil-ahy]. /bəˈsɪl aɪ/.

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

(formerly) any bacterium.

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Origin of bacillus

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

Words nearby bacillus

bacillary, bacillary dysentery, bacillemia, bacilli, bacilluria, bacillus, bacillus Calmette-Guérin, Bacillus thuringiensis, bacitracin, back, backache

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use bacillus in a sentence

Researchers found that Bacillus bacteria on mice were the likely culprits producing the chemical.
The flowery scent of a Zika or dengue infection lures mosquitoes|Erin Garcia de Jesús|July 11, 2022|Science News
Experiments showed it could inactivate the spores of a typically harmless bacteria, Bacillus subtilis.
A disinfectant made from sawdust mows down deadly microbes|Carolyn Wilke|January 19, 2022|Science News
Anthrax, or Bacillus anthracis, is spore-forming bacteria found in soil that most commonly affects cattle.
CDC: 80 May Have Been Exposed to Anthrax|Abby Haglage|June 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Might Stevens have encountered spores of Bacillus anthracis during a recent hike through woods in North Carolina?
The Mirage Man by David Willman: Anthrax Attacker Bruce Ivins' Obsessions||June 2, 2011|DAILY BEAST

There are a number of bacilli, called acid-fast bacilli, which stain in the same way as the tubercle bacillus.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
It, or a similar bacillus, is sometimes found in the sputum of gangrene of the lung.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
Ordinarily, no attempt is made to identify any but the tubercle bacillus and the gonococcus.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
The great majority belong to the colon bacillus group, and are negative to Gram's method of staining.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd
This will show all bacteria except the tubercle bacillus, and often no other stain is necessary for their identification.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis|James Campbell Todd

British Dictionary definitions for bacillus

bacillus

/ (bəˈsɪləs) /

noun plural -cilli (-ˈsɪlaɪ)

any rod-shaped bacterium, such as a clostridium bacteriumCompare coccus (def. 2), spirillum (def. 1)

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

Word Origin for bacillus

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012