streptococcus definition - Dictionary

Dictionary

Thesaurus

Translations

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

See pronunciation key

Search for "streptoc..." in all of MSN Encarta

E-mail this entry

Blog about this entry on MSN Spaces

Download the MSN Encarta Right-Click Dictionary

streptococcus

strep·to·coc·cus [ strèptə kókəss ] (plural strep·to·coc·ci [ strèptə kók s, strèptə kó k ])

noun

Definition:

round bacterium: a spherical bacterium that often causes diseases such as scarlet fever or pneumonia. The bacteria link together in pairs or chains. Genus Streptococcus.

[Late 19th century. < modern Latin< Greek streptos "twisted" + coccus "berry"]

strep·to·coc·cal adjective

strep·to·coc·cic [ strèptə kóksik, strèptə kókik ] adjective

Also on MSN

•	Project Earth: Big Ideas for Saving the Planet on the Discovery Channel

•	MSN Shopping: Best books for the season

•	MSN Careers: Nail that job interview

•

Today's news on MSNBC