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bacillus Definition

ba·cil·lus (bə sil′əs)

noun pl. -·cil′li′-ī

  1. any of a genus (Bacillus) of rod-shaped bacteria that occur in chains, produce spores, and are active only in the presence of oxygen
  2. any rod-shaped bacterium
  3. loosely any of the bacteria, esp. those causing disease

Etymology: ModL < LL, little rod < L bacillum, dim. of baculus, var. of baculum, a stick < IE base *bak-, staff > peg, Gr baktron

bacillus Usage Examples

Converse of subject

  • cause: It is now known that the plague was caused by a bacillus transmitted by rat fleas.

Converse of object

  • call: Many bacteria can be found within rice, and the most common bacteria associated with food poisoning from rice is called bacillus.

Adjective modifier

  • acid-fast: Post-mortem discovered " short, fat, relatively scant numbers of acid-fast bacilli " .
  • Gram-negative: The causative agent is Aeromonas salmonicida a non-motile, gram-negative aerobic bacillus, typically 1 µm x 2 µm.
  • aerobic: The causative agent is Aeromonas salmonicida a non-motile, gram-negative aerobic bacillus, typically 1 µm x 2 µm.
  • negative: B. fragilis is a Gram negative short bacillus which demonstrates pleomorphism.
  • Gram-positive: Tetanus is caused by a Gram-positive bacillus, Clostridium tetani.
  • positive: Two Gram positive cocci and one Gram positive bacillus.

Modifies a noun

  • thuringiensis: Organic farmers use the Bt toxin, which comes from a bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis, to ward off crop pests.
  • subtili: In 1966, Bacillus subtilis, was introduced into a subway station in New York City.
  • anthracis: The ability of Bacillus anthracis to form spores makes it a difficult organism to control.
  • cereus: Bacillus cereus: rice, cereal products, cheese products.
  • stearothermophilus: Bacillus stearothermophilus Thermophilic species which grows at 65 °C; produces lipase and protease.
  • thurensis: Many localities are spraying with Bacillus thurensis, which is harmless to plants and animals, save of course mosquito larvae.

Noun used with modifier

  • tubercle: In the time it has taken you to read this far, another 50 people will have been infected with the tubercle bacilli.
  • leprosy: The leprosy bacillus seems to have ' got rid of ' non-essential genes.
  • bacterium: For example, genes from the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis produce a toxin that kills certain insects.
  • TB: What happens if you breathe in the TB bacilli?
  • genus: Living in the soil are huge numbers of bacteria belonging to the genus Bacillus.