coccus
/'kɔkəs/
Definition
- Noun:
- A spherical or nearly spherical bacterium: "coccus" refers to any bacterium that has a round or oval shape. This is one of the three primary shapes of bacterial cells.
- A type of bacterial cell: In microbiology, "coccus" describes the morphology (shape) of a bacterial cell, as opposed to rod-shaped (bacillus) or spiral-shaped (spirillum) bacteria.
Examples of Usage
- Noun:
- Staphylococcus aureus is a common coccus that can cause skin infections.
- Under the microscope, the bacteria appeared as a chain of cocci.
- The lab report identified the pathogen as a gram-positive coccus.
Advanced Usage
- "Cocci" (plural form): The term is most commonly used in its plural form, "cocci," to refer to multiple spherical bacteria.
- The sample contained numerous gram-negative cocci.
- Used in compound taxonomic names to describe the shape of bacterial genera (e.g., describes a chain of cocci, describes a cluster of cocci).
Variants and Related Words
- Cocci (n, plural): The standard plural form of "coccus."
- Coccal (adj): Relating to or resembling a coccus.
- The infection had a coccal origin.
- Coccobacillus (n): A short, oval bacterial cell that is intermediate in shape between a coccus and a bacillus.
- Brucella is classified as a coccobacillus.
Synonyms
- Spherical bacterium: A descriptive synonym emphasizing the shape.
- Round bacterium: A simpler, more general synonym.
Related Terms (Not Phrasal Verbs)
- Bacillus: A rod-shaped bacterium.
- Spirillum: A spiral-shaped bacterium.
- Bacterial morphology: The study of the shape and structure of bacterial cells, where "coccus" is a key category.
Noun
-
any spherical or nearly spherical bacteria
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