staphylococcus
noun/ˌstæfələˈkɔkəs/ · /ˌstæfɪləˈkɒkəs/
Etymology Borrowed from translingual Staphylococcus. By surface analysis, staphylo- + -coccus.
1
A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, causing blisters, septicemia, and other infections.
- This Scottish bacteriologist accidentally discovered the antibiotic penicillin after bacteria-killing fungus formed on staphylococci cultures he had left unattended.2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 127:
- Derived terms
- staph, staphylococcal, staphylococcemia, staphylococcic, staphylococcin
- Related terms
- coccus