staph
Pluralstaphs
- 1Bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus, and the infection that they cause.
Like an uninvited guest that slips in through a break in the skin and makes itself at home.
Hospitals routinely screen patients for staph to prevent outbreaks on surgical wards.
A small scratch left untreated allowed staph to spread into her bloodstream.
Similarstaphylococcus
Note
Staphylococcus was cut down to its first syllable to make this word, and the short form covers both the organism and the illness it brings. Usually it is uncountable: hospitals screen for staph, and a neglected scratch lets staph spread. It can also be counted, with the plural staphs, when separate kinds of the bacteria are meant. Context alone tells you whether the germ or the infection is in view.
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Origin
A shortening of "staphylococcus."