Added 9 October 2026
bacillus
/bæˈsɪl.əs/ noun
Latin root: bacillus Wiktionary
noun Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about bacillus at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- Aerobic rod-shaped spore-producing bacterium; often occurring in chainlike formations; found primarily in soil.
Origin
Learned borrowing from Latin bacillus (“little staff, wand”), diminutive of baculum (“stick, staff, walking stick”).
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)