bacterium
/bækˈtɪə.ri.əm/ (bre, ipa) · /bækˈtɪr.i.əm/ (ame, ipa) · /bak-ˈtir-ē-əm/ (ame, mw)
bacterium — noun
- bacteriumsingular
- bacteriaplural
1. a tiny one-celled living thing, found in places such as soil, water, plants, ani
a tiny one-celled living thing, found in places such as soil, water, plants, animals, and the air, that can sometimes make people, animals, or plants ill
The lab found one bacterium growing on the edge of the dish.
one bacterium + grow on a dish
A single bacterium entered the cut when Leo swam in dirty water.
single bacterium + enter a cut
This bacterium lives in warm soil near the roots of rice plants.
Under the microscope, each bacterium looked like a tiny curved rod.
One helpful bacterium in yogurt can help keep your gut healthy.
- microbe
a common broader word for a very small living thing, not only a bacterium
- germ
an everyday word that usually suggests something that causes disease
- microorganism
a scientific umbrella term that also includes other tiny life forms
文法句型
one bacterium grows on a dish
a bacterium lives in soil
a bacterium enters a wound
用法筆記
Usually countable in general English. The plural is bacteria, so use one bacterium but many bacteria. Common in biology, food, and health contexts.