bactérie

bacterium, bacteria

noun bahk-teh-REE Rare

Origin: From Greek 'bakterion' (small staff), referring to the rod shape of some bacteria.

Usage Note

bactérie is grammatically feminine and singular; the plural bactéries is the usual form. Do not confuse with virus (masculine). Une bactérie résistante aux antibiotiques is an antibiotic-resistant bacterium, a common news phrase. The adjective bactérien/bactérienne means bacterial.

Examples

"Certaines bactéries sont utiles pour la digestion."

Natural Translation

Some bacteria are useful for digestion.

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