pneumococcus Hear it!

pneumococcus Definition

pneumo·coc·cus (no̵̅o̅′mō käk′əs, nyo̵̅o̅′-)

noun pl. -·coc′ci′--käk′sī′

a bacterium (Streptococcus pneumoniae) that is a cause of certain diseases, as pneumonia

Etymology: ModL: see pneumo- & coccus

pneumococcus Related Forms
pneu′mo·coc′·cal (--käk′əl) adjective or pneu′mo·coc′·cic--käk′sik
pneumococcus Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • penicillin-resistant: Identification of the major Spanish clones of penicillin-resistant pneumococci via the internet using multilocus sequence typing.
  • resistant: Penicillin resistant pneumococci ( PRP ) are found more commonly in children and in hospital-acquired infections.

Modifies a noun

  • bacterium: People who have had their spleen removed are at greater risk of getting meningitis due to the pneumococcus bacterium.