bacterium

noun

bak-TEER-ee-uhm/bækˈtɪəɹ.ɪəm/

1 meaning of bacterium

1
nouncountable
A very small living thing made of a single cell, with no center part that holds its genes.
Like a tiny living dot, so small that thousands could sit on the tip of a pin.
A single bacterium can multiply into millions within a day.
Doctors found harmful bacteria in the water sample.
Similarmicrobe
Note

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Origin

It comes from New Latin bactērium, which came from a Greek word meaning "small staff."