Meanings
- not comparablebiologysmaller than a bacterium
They are used frequently for the separation of particles of sub-bacterial dimensions and for the study of the sizes of the particles of ultramicroscopic viruses, bacteriophage and colloids.
1939, Hans Zinsser, A textbook of bacteriology^([archive.org]), page 9162 more examples
Diseases that have most stubbornly resisted medical control are those caused by the subbacterial Rickettsiae and viruses. Cause of many tropical diseases, these organisms are the smallest living things. They can exist only side living cells.
1944 May 1, “Tropical Diseases”, in Life^([archive.org]), page 64The broadening of bacteriology has opened up new horizons in the field of subbacterial forms and has resulted in the alteration of the name of the study of microorganisms from bacteriology to microbiology.
1978, Harry Lehman, Biology in transition^([archive.org]), page 26
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*upó
- Proto-Italic*supo
- Latinsub
- Latinsub-
- Englishsub-
- Ancient Greekβακτηρία (baktēría)
- Ancient Greekβακτήριον (baktḗrion)
- New Latinbactēria
- Englishbacteria
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂el-
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂élisder.?
- Englishbacterial
- Englishsubbacterial
Cite this entry
subbacterial. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subbacterial
“subbacterial.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subbacterial. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “subbacterial,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/subbacterial.
Source: subbacterial on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.