lactobacillus

[ lak-toh-buh-sil-uhs ]

/ ˌlæk toʊ bəˈsɪl əs /

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noun, plural lac·to·ba·cil·li

[lak-toh-buh-sil-ahy]. /ˌlæk toʊ bəˈsɪl aɪ/. Bacteriology.

any long, slender, rod-shaped, anaerobic bacterium of the genus Lactobacillus, that produces large amounts of lactic acid in the fermentation of carbohydrates, especially in milk.

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Origin of lactobacillus

<New Latin (1901); see lacto-, bacillus

Words nearby lactobacillus

lactic, lactic acid, lactiferous, lactivist, lacto-, lactobacillus, lactoferrin, lactoflavin, lactogenic, lactogenic hormone, lactoglobulin

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

How to use lactobacillus in a sentence

Vulture bees were full of Lactobacillus strains—the type of bacteria that’s used to ferment sour beer, sourdough, and pickles—while the omnivores had the most diverse guts, with a mixture of standard-issue bacteria and some unusual strains.
What’s sweeter than honey to these bees? Rotting meat.|Philip Kiefer|November 27, 2021|Popular-Science
Lactobacillus reuteri LR-1 or LR-2 promote oral health by binding to teeth and gums, preventing plaque formation in the mouth.
How to Choose the Right Probiotic for You|DailyBurn|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The most common probiotic bacteria come from two genus groups: Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, although there are many others.
How to Choose the Right Probiotic for You|DailyBurn|May 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Koumiss bacterium is related to the Lactobacillus of various other fermented milks, and is similar to Bac.
The Bacillus of Long Life|Loudon Douglas

Fresh dairy cream cheese containing Lactobacillus acidophilus.
The Complete Book of Cheese|Robert Carlton Brown

British Dictionary definitions for lactobacillus

lactobacillus

/ (ˌlæktəʊbəˈsɪləs) /

noun plural -li (-laɪ)

any Gram-positive rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Lactobacillus, which ferments carbohydrates to lactic acid, for example in the souring of milk: family Lactobacillaceae

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