Pl. -a; rarely anglicized as bactery. [mod.L., ad. Gr. βακτήριον, dim. of βάκτρον stick, staff.] A genus of Schizomycetæ, microscopic unicellular rod-shaped vegetable organisms, various species of which are found in all decomposing animal and vegetable liquids.
1847–9. Todd, Cycl. Anat. & Phys., IV. 6/1. In Bacterium, the contraction is weaker.
1854. J. Hogg, Microsc., II. i. (1867), 295. What part do the fungi, or bacteria, play in the production of … cancer?
1884. Health Exhib. Catal., 155/1. Imperishable Yeast … and Models of Yeast and Bacteries.
