Pilli
/ˈpɪlaɪ/noun
The plural of pilus, especially a hairlike appendage on a bacterial cell.
Did you know?Some bacterial pili function like molecular grappling hooks, while sex pili can help transfer genetic material between bacteria.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*pil-
“Hair or fiber; reconstructed root”
Classical Latin
Latin
pilus
“A hair”
Late Latin
Latin
pilus
“A hair or bristle”
19th Century
New Latin
pilus
“A hairlike biological structure”
20th Century
Scientific English
pili
“Plural of pilus, referring especially to bacterial surface appendages”
Modern English
English
pilli
“An English plural variant of pilus, used for bacterial hairlike structures”