bacillus

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ba=cil=lus

CIDE DICTIONARY

bacillus, n. [NL., for L. bacillum. See Bacillariæ.].

 A variety of bacterium; a microscopic, rod-shaped vegetable organism.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

bacillus, n. (pl. bacilli)
1 any rod-shaped bacterium.
2 (usu. in pl.) any pathogenic bacterium.

Etymology

LL, dimin. of L baculus stick

THESAURUS

bacillus

adenovirus, aerobe, aerobic bacteria, amoeba, anaerobe, anaerobic bacteria, bacteria, bacterium, bug, coccus, disease-producing microorganism, echovirus, enterovirus, filterable virus, fungus, germ, gram-negative bacteria, gram-positive bacteria, microbe, microorganism, mold, nonfilterable virus, pathogen, picornavirus, protozoa, protozoon, reovirus, rhinovirus, rickettsia, spirillum, spirochete, spore, staphylococcus, streptococcus, trypanosome, vibrio, virus