Definition of 'bacteria'
plural noun
Bacteria are very small organisms. Some bacteria can cause disease.
Chlorine is added to kill bacteria.
COBUILD Advanced English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Video: pronunciation of 'bacteria'
plural noun singular -rium (-rɪəm)
a very large group of microorganisms comprising one of the three domains of living organisms. They are prokaryotic, unicellular, and either free-living in soil or water or parasites of plants or animals
See also prokaryoteCollins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers
Derived forms
adjective
bacterially (bacˈterially)
adverb
Word origin of 'bacteria'
plural nounWord forms: singular bacˈterium (bækˈtɪriəm
; baktirˈēəm) or bacˈteria
any of a division (Bacteria) of monerans, microorganisms which are typically one-celled,
have no chlorophyll, multiply by simple division, and can be seen only with a microscope: they occur in three main forms, spherical (cocci), rod-shaped (bacilli), and spiral (spirilla): some bacteria cause diseases such as pneumonia and anthrax, and others are necessary for fermentation, nitrogen fixation, etc.
Webster’s New World College Dictionary, 4th Edition. Copyright © 2010 by
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. All rights reserved.
Derived forms
adjective
bacterially (bacˈterially)
adverb
Word origin of 'bacteria'
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Translations for 'bacteria'
British English: bacteria
/bækˈtɪərɪə/ NOUN
Bacteria are very small organisms which can cause disease.
Chlorine is added to the water to kill bacteria.
- American English: bacteria
- Arabic: بَكْتِيريا
- Brazilian Portuguese: bactéria
- Chinese: 细菌
- Croatian: bakterije
- Czech: bakterie
- Danish: bakterie
- Dutch: bacteriën
- European Spanish: bacterias
- Finnish: bakteerit
- French: bactérie
- German: Bakterien
- Greek: βακτήρια
- Italian: batteri
- Japanese: バクテリア
- Korean: 박테리아
- Norwegian: bakterier
- Polish: bakteria
- European Portuguese: bactéria
- Romanian: bacterii
- Russian: бактерия
- Spanish: bacteria
- Swedish: bakterie
- Thai: เชื้อแบคทีเรีย
- Turkish: bakteri
- Ukrainian: бактерія
- Vietnamese: vi khuẩn
Nearby words of 'bacteria'
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Definition of bacteria from the
Collins English Dictionary
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