Bacterium
/bækˈtɪəriəm/noun
A microscopic single-celled organism belonging to the prokaryotic domain Bacteria.
Did you know?The term was coined in 1838 by German naturalist Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg after observing rod-shaped microorganisms through a microscope.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
βάκτρον (báktron)
“Staff, walking stick, or rod”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βακτηρία (baktēría)
“A staff or cane; a related form describing a rod-like object”
Ancient Greek
Greek
βακτηρίον (baktḗrion)
“Little staff or little rod, formed with a diminutive ending”
1838
New Latin
bacterium
“A microscopic organism named for its rod-like appearance”
19th Century
Scientific English
bacterium
“An individual organism of the group later called bacteria”
Modern English
English
bacterium
“A single member of the domain Bacteria”