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pilus

noun
pi·​lus | \ ˈpī-ləs How to pronounce pilus (audio) \
plural pili\ ˈpī-​ˌlī How to pronounce pili (audio) \

Definition of pilus

: a hair or a structure (as on the surface of a bacterial cell) resembling a hair

Examples of pilus in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 Maybe each of those growths, known as a pilus, was actually a wire that latched onto the rust, Dr. Lovley thought. — New York Times, "Wired Bacteria Form Nature’s Power Grid: ‘We Have an Electric Planet’," 1 July 2019

First Known Use of pilus

1760, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for pilus

Latin

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More Definitions for pilus

pilus

noun
pi·​lus | \ ˈpī-ləs How to pronounce pilus (audio) \
plural pili\ -​ˌlī How to pronounce pili (audio) \

Medical Definition of pilus

: a hair or a structure (as on the surface of a bacterial cell) resembling a hair

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