First Known Use: 1909
Dictionary
mycobacterium
noun my·co·bac·te·ri·um \ˌmī-kō-bak-ˈtir-ē-əm\
Definition of MYCOBACTERIUM
: any of a genus (Mycobacterium) of nonmotile aerobic acid-fast bacteria that include numerous saprophytes and the pathogens causing tuberculosis and leprosy
— my·co·bac·te·ri·al \-ē-əl\ adjective
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Origin of MYCOBACTERIUM
New Latin
Medical Dictionary
mycobacterium
noun my·co·bac·te·ri·um \-ˈtir-ē-əm\
Medical Definition of MYCOBACTERIUM
1
capitalized : a genus of nonmotile acid-fast aerobic bacteria of the family Mycobacteriaceae that are usually slender and difficult to stain and that include the causative agents of tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) and leprosy (M. leprae) as well as numerous purely saprophytic forms
2
plural my·co·bac·te·ria \-ē-ə\ : any bacterium of the genus Mycobacterium or a closely related genus
—my·co·bac·te·ri·al \-ē-əl\ adjective
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