< /bəˈsɪl aɪ/.
- any rod-shaped or cylindrical bacterium of the genus Bacillus, comprising spore-producing bacteria.
- (formerly) any bacterium.
noun plural -cilli (-ˈsɪlaɪ)
- any rod-shaped bacterium, such as a clostridium bacteriumCompare coccus (def. 2), spirillum (def. 1)
- any of various rodlike spore-producing bacteria constituting the family Bacillaceae, esp of the genus Bacillus
1877, medical Latin, from Late Latin bacillus “wand,” literally “little staff,” diminutive of baculum “a stick,” from PIE root *bak- “staff,” also source of Greek bakterion (see bacteria). Introduced as a term in bacteriology 1853 by German botanist Ferdinand Cohn (1828-1898).
n. pl. ba•cil•li (-sĭl′ī′)
- Any of various rod-shaped, usually gram-positive aerobic bacteria of the genus Bacillus that often occur in chains and include Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent of anthrax.
- Any of various bacteria, especially a rod-shaped bacterium.
n.
- A genus of rod-shaped gram-positive bacteria capable of producing endospores.
Plural bacilli (bə-sĭl′ī′)
- Any of various pathogenic bacteria, especially one that is rod-shaped.