staphylococcus

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/ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs//ˌstæfɪləˈkɒkəs/

noun

A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.

Similar
staphylococcistaph
Origintranslingual Staphylococcus →
Less commonScrabble 28
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Meanings

nounstaphylococcus (plural staphylococci)

plural staphylococci

  1. A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.

    This Scottish bacteriologist accidentally discovered the antibiotic penicillin after bacteria-killing fungus formed on staphylococci cultures he had left unattended.

    2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 127

Synonyms & antonyms

nounspherical Gram-positive parasitic bacteria that tend to form irregular colonies; some cause boils or septicemia or infections

Similar
staphylococcistaph
Broader
coccuscocci
Also see
staph

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. translingualStaphylococcus
  2. Englishstaphylococcus

Borrowed from translingual Staphylococcus. By surface analysis, staphylo- + -coccus.

More words from translingual

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan estafilococ
  • estafilococbacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Chinese Mandarin 葡萄球菌
  • 葡萄球菌 (pútao qiújūn)bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Finnish stafylokokki
  • stafylokokkibacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
French staphylocoque
  • staphylocoquebacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Greek σταφυλόκοκκος
  • σταφυλόκοκκος (stafylókokkos)bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Italian stafilococco
  • stafilococcobacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Japanese 葡萄球菌
  • 葡萄球菌 (budōkyūkin)bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Korean 포도상구균
  • 포도상구균 (podosanggugyun)bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Persian استافیلوکوک
  • استافیلوکوک (estâfilokok)bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Polish gronkowiec
  • gronkowiecbacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Portuguese estafilococo
  • estafilococobacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Romanian stafilococ
  • stafilococbacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Russian стафилоко́кк
  • стафилоко́кк (stafilokókk)bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Spanish estafilococo
  • estafilococobacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Swedish stafylokock
  • stafylokockbacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Tagalog estapilokoko
  • estapilokokobacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Turkish stafilokok
  • stafilokokbacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
Cite this entry
APA

staphylococcus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/staphylococcus

MLA

“staphylococcus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/staphylococcus. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “staphylococcus,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/staphylococcus.

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