pilus

pi·lus
P3I1L1U1S1
Canada, US, UK/ˈpaɪ̯.ləs/Canada, US, UK, also/ˈpʌɪ̯.ləs/Australia, New Zealand/ˈpɑe̯.ləs/Scotland/ˈpʌi̯.ləs/

noun

A hair.

Similar
fimbriahair
OriginLatin pilus →
UncommonScrabble 7
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Meanings

nounpilus (plural pili)

plural pili

  1. biologyA hair.
  2. biologyA hairlike appendage found on the cell surface of many bacteria.

    Synonyms: fimbria

  3. biochemistryA bacterial protein that has several biochemical functions.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA hairlike appendage found on the cell surface of many bacteria.

Similar
fimbria

More synonyms by meaning

nounany of the cylindrical filaments characteristically growing from the epidermis of a mammal

Similar
hair
Broader
filamentfilum
Also see
fimbriahair

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Latinpilus
  2. Latinpilus
  3. Englishpilus

Learned borrowing from Latin pilus (“hair”). Doublet of pile.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with pilus

stylusSilaseyelessstrobilustieless
All rhymes →

Anagrams

pulispusil
Cite this entry
APA

pilus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilus

MLA

“pilus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pilus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pilus.

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