staphylococcus
noun
staph·y·lo·coc·cus
| \ ˌsta-f(ə-)lō-ˈkä-kəs
\
\
plural staphylococci\ ˌsta-f(ə-)lō-ˈkä-ˌkī
, -(ˌ)kē ; -ˈkäk-ˌsī , -(ˌ)sē \
, -(ˌ)kē ; -ˈkäk-ˌsī , -(ˌ)sē \
Definition of staphylococcus
: any of a genus (Staphylococcus) of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria that occur singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters and include causative agents of various diseases (such as skin infections, food poisoning, and endocarditis)
Examples of staphylococcus in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Lab tested to kill 99.99 percent of illness-causing bacteria such as staphylococcus, salmonella, pseudomonas, and MRSA. — Necee Regis, BostonGlobe.com, "Here, there, and everywhere," 23 July 2019 Necrotizing fasciitis, the medical name for the condition that most call flesh-eating bacteria, Nizet noted, is most often caused by streptococcus or staphylococcus bacteria, usually called Strep and Staph. — Paul Sisson, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Expert: Flesh-eating bacteria often present in the body before severe infection takes hold," 19 July 2019 Though most of the bacteria that resides on our skin is pretty harmless, certain types of germs, including staphylococcus bacteria (what causes Staph infections, including MRSA), can introduce more serious health consequences. — Jenny Mccoy, SELF, "How Gross Is It Really to Re-Wear Sweaty Workout Clothes?," 5 June 2019 Staph infections, caused by staphylococcus bacteria, can develop life-threatening complications. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "Ozzy Osbourne Underwent Hand Surgery to Treat Multiple Staph Infections: ‘It Was Agony’," 23 Oct. 2018 The results found all types of bacteria, like staphylococcus, streptococcus, bacillus cereus, and E. coli. — Danielle Tullo, House Beautiful, "6 Places Germs Are Hiding In Your House," 11 Oct. 2018 Staph infections form when a type of staphylococcus bacteria infects some part of the body, the Mayo Clinic explains, most commonly causing boils that form in oil glands or hair follicles. — Lynsey Eidell, SELF, "Blink-182's Travis Barker Is Back in the Hospital Due to Complications From Blood Clots," 20 June 2018 There have been several reports of people developing staphylococcus or myobacterium infections after getting fish pedicures, for starters. — Amanda Macmillan, Health.com, "A Fish Pedicure Caused a Woman's Toenails to Stop Growing and Fall Off, According to Her Doctor," 5 July 2018 Now, more than a year later, the BC Coroners Service confirmed a strain of staphylococcus aureus on a tampon, as well as other symptoms consistent with TSS, were discovered, CTV News reported. — Alexandria Hein, Fox News, "Teen who died on overnight school trip contracted toxic shock syndrome," 28 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'staphylococcus.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for staphylococcus
staphylococcus
noun
staph·y·lo·coc·cus
| \ ˌstaf-ə-lō-ˈkäk-əs
\
\
Medical Definition of staphylococcus
1
capitalized
: a genus of nonmotile gram-positive spherical bacteria that is placed in either of two families (Staphylococcaceae or Micrococcaceae), contains forms occurring singly, in pairs or tetrads, or in irregular clusters, and includes causative agents of various diseases and disorders (as food poisoning, skin infections, and endocarditis)
2
plural staphylococci\ -ˈkäk-ˌ(s)ī \
: any bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
broadly
: micrococcus sense 2
\
: any bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus
broadly
: micrococcus sense 2