Go to 'thermo-' entry Go to 'dino-' entry Go to 'chondro-' entry Go to 'aero-' entry Go to '-logy' entry Go to 'thaumato-' entry Go to 'nano-' entry Go to '-sophy' entry Go to 'bucco-' entry Go to '-ism' entry Go to '-lysis' entry Go to 'galacto-' entry Go to '-anthropy' entry Go to 'pneumo-' entry Go to '-ploitation' entry Go to '-lithic' entry Go to '-sepalous' entry Go to 'onco-' entry Go to '-parous' entry Go to 'dermato-' entry Go to 'multi-' entry Go to 'dodeca-' entry Go to '-zoon' entry Go to 'vermi-' entry Go to 'crystallo-' entry Go to 'biblio-' entry Go to 'eco-' entry Go to 'juxta-' entry Go to 'facio-' entry
Affixes: the building blocks of English
Affixes: the building blocks of English
  Home Introduction About the author Types of affixes Thematic indexes Search the site   A B C D E F G H I JK L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z   Previous entry Next entry Up to index of B  

bacteri(o)- Also bacter-.

Bacteria.

[English bacterium, from Greek baktērion, diminutive of baktēria, staff or cane (because the first bacteria to be discovered were rod-shaped).]

Bacteria are members of a large group of single-celled micro-organisms, including some which can cause disease. Bacteriology is the study of them; a bactericide is a substance which kills them; a bacteriophage (Greek phagein, eat) is a virus which attacks bacteria; a bacteriostat (Greek statos, standing) is a substance that prevents the multiplying of bacteria without destroying them; bacteraemia (US bacteremia) is the presence of bacteria in the blood, while bacteriuria is their presence in the urine. See also bacill-.

Visit Michael Quinion’s World Wide Words site for 2000+ articles on English!

Copyright © Michael Quinion 2008–. All rights reserved. Page last updated 23 September 2008.
Your comments and suggestions on the site are very welcome.