noun
- a genus of Gram-negative rodlike bacteria that are found in the intestines of humans and many animals, esp E. coli, which is sometimes pathogenic and is widely used in genetic research
n.
- A genus of aerobic, gram-negative, rod-shaped bacteria widely found in nature; one species, Escherichia coli, which normally occurs in human and animal intestines, can cause urogenital tract infections and diarrhea in infants and adults.