Rickettsia Definition
rĭ-kĕtsē-ə
rickettsiae, rickettsias
noun
Any of several families (esp. Rickettsiaceae) of Gram-negative bacteria that are the causative agents of certain diseases, as typhus or Rocky Mountain spotted fever: they are transmitted to animals and humans by the bite of certain lice, ticks, etc. in whose bodies they live as parasites.
Webster's New World
pronoun
A taxonomic genus within the family Rickettsiaceae "” the rickettsia bacteria.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Rickettsia
Noun
Singular:
rickettsia
Plural:
rickettsiae, rickettsiasOrigin of Rickettsia
New Latin Rickettsia genus name after Howard Taylor Ricketts (1871–1910), American pathologist
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From Rickettsia (genus name)
From Wiktionary
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