bacteria — microscopic single-celled organisms that can cause disease or be beneficial
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: microscopic single-celled organisms that can cause disease or be beneficial
Pronunciation (IPA): /bækˈtɪriə/
Example Sentences
- My mom blames bacteria for everything - even my bad grades!
- Hand sanitizer kills 99.9% of bacteria, but that 0.1% is probably plotting revenge.
- Scientists discovered new bacteria species in the deep ocean.
bacteria
NOUN[/bækˈtɪriə/]
microscopic single-celled organisms that can cause disease or be beneficial

Microscopic organisms good and bad

Cafeteria criteria reveal hidden bacteria!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word bacteria derives from Greek 'bakterion', meaning 'small rod' or 'little stick'. The term was coined because early microscopic observation revealed that many bacterial cells appeared rod-shaped, leading scientists to adopt this descriptive name.
Breakdown
baktēr- (rod, staff) + -ion (diminutive suffix meaning small). The diminutive suffix -ion was added to the root baktēr- to emphasize the small size of these rod-like organisms.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My mom blames bacteria for everything - even my bad grades!”
“Hand sanitizer kills 99.9% of bacteria, but that 0.1% is probably plotting revenge.”
“Scientists discovered new bacteria species in the deep ocean.”
“Some bacteria can survive in extreme temperatures.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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