# staph

Pronunciation: say "STAF" /stæf/

## Noun

1. Bacteria of the genus Staphylococcus, and the infection that they cause.
   - Simple: A common kind of germ that can get into cuts and cause sores and other infections.
   - _Hospitals routinely screen patients for staph to prevent outbreaks on surgical wards._
   - _A small scratch left untreated allowed staph to spread into her bloodstream._

## Origin

A shortening of "staphylococcus."

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/staph (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).