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noun

bacterium

(microbiology) single-celled or noncellular spherical or spiral or rod-shaped organisms lacking chlorophyll that reproduce by fission; important as pathogens and for biochemical properties; taxonomy is difficult; often considered to be plants

In a sentence

Six example sentences with bacterium, each labelled with its topic.

  • A single bacterium surviving on a doorknob is enough to restart an outbreak the ward thought it had ended.

    Medicine

  • Under the lens the students found one bacterium drifting between pond debris, its tail lashing in short bursts.

    Science

  • Sourdough works because a bacterium and a yeast share the flour, one making acid and the other making bubbles.

    Cooking

  • In 1882 Koch showed one species of bacterium caused tuberculosis, ending centuries of blaming bad air and weak character.

    History

  • After the spill, crews seeded the beach with an oil-eating bacterium that turns the sludge into carbon dioxide and water.

    Environment

  • Engineers rewired a common gut bacterium to produce insulin, turning a vat of microbes into a small factory.

    Technology

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Found in these word lists

Found in 3 published word listsAuthoritative

Each source is a published word list that contains bacterium. No exam board publishes an official GRE, GMAT or SAT list; GMAT words come from GRE lists and the Academic Word List.

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