bacteria
1 Americanplural noun
singular
bacteriumnoun
plural noun
Usage
Plural word for bacteria Bacteria is the plural form of the singular bacterium. Because microscopic bacterium is most often found in multiples, the plural form bacteria is more commonly used. The plurals of several other singular words ending in -um are also formed this way, such as memorandum/memoranda and curriculum/curricula.The irregular noun bacterium’s plural derives directly from its original pluralization in Latin and Greek. Bacteria is sometimes treated as a singular collective noun. However, this is not standard in English, and bacteria should be treated as a plural form.
Discover More
Some bacteria are beneficial to humans (for example, those that live in the stomach and aid digestion), and some are harmful (for example, those that cause disease).
Other Word Forms
- bacterial adjective
- bacterially adverb
- nonbacterial adjective
- nonbacterially adverb
Etymology
Origin of bacteria1
First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin, from Greek baktḗria, plural of baktḗrion, diminutive of baktēría “staff, cane”; bacterium
Origin of Bacteria2
First recorded in 1860–65; from New Latin; bacteria ( def. )
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Just as it breaks down plant cells, ultrasound can disrupt the cell walls of microorganisms such as bacteria that may spoil the product.
From Science Daily
Scientists have revealed how viruses that infect bacteria shut down MurJ, a protein essential for building the bacterial cell wall.
From Science Daily
So long as human bodies are fallible to disease, we will need labs studying viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites to see which ones could cause major problems.
From Salon
Archaea that consume methylamines, along with certain bacteria that may have acquired the same ability, play an important role in human health.
From Science Daily
When these changes were introduced into living bacteria, the cells stopped growing and failed to properly separate their DNA.
From Science Daily
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
