rickettsia

R1I1C3K5E1T1T1S1I1A1

noun

Any of a group of gram-negative bacteria, of the genus Rickettsia, carried as parasites by ticks, fleas and lice, that cause typhus and other diseases.

Origintranslingual Rickettsia →
UncommonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounrickettsia (plural rickettsias or rickettsiae)

plural rickettsias · plural rickettsiae

  1. Any of a group of gram-negative bacteria, of the genus Rickettsia, carried as parasites by ticks, fleas and lice, that cause typhus and other diseases.
  2. informalAny bacterium of the order Rickettsiales.

Origin

  1. translingualRickettsia
  2. Englishrickettsia

Borrowed from translingual Rickettsia (genus name), from Howard Taylor Ricketts, equivalent to Ricketts + -ia.

More words from translingual

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic رِكِتْسِيَا, رِيكِتْسِيَّة
  • رِكِتْسِيَا (rikitsiyā)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
  • رِيكِتْسِيَّة (rīkitsiyya)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
  • رِيكِتْسِيَا (rīkitsiyā)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
Catalan rickèttsia
  • rickèttsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Chinese Mandarin 立克次體 /立克次体
  • 立克次體 /立克次体 (Lìkècì-tǐ)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
Finnish riketsia
  • riketsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
French rickettsie
  • rickettsieRickettsia-genus bacterium
German Rickettsie
  • RickettsieRickettsia-genus bacterium
Indonesian riketsia
  • riketsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Italian rickettsia
  • rickettsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Japanese リケッチア, リケッツィア
  • リケッチア (riketchia)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
  • リケッツィア (rikettsia)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
  • リケッチャ (riketcha)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
  • リッケットシア (rikkettoshia)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
Korean 리케차
  • 리케차 (rikecha)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
Polish riketsja
  • riketsjaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Portuguese rickettsia
  • rickettsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Romanian rickettsia
  • rickettsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Russian рикке́тсия
  • рикке́тсия (rikkétsija)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
Spanish rickettsia
  • rickettsiaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Turkish riketsiya
  • riketsiyaRickettsia-genus bacterium
Ukrainian рике́тсія
  • рике́тсія (rykétsija)Rickettsia-genus bacterium
Cite this entry
APA

rickettsia. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rickettsia

MLA

“rickettsia.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rickettsia. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rickettsia,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rickettsia.

Source: rickettsia on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.