staphylococci
Meaning
Plural of staphylococcus; spherical bacteria that occur in irregular clusters, some of which can cause infections in humans and animals.
Structure
Usage
The infection was found to be caused by antibiotic-resistant staphylococci.
Under the microscope, the staphylococci appeared in characteristic grapelike clusters.
Laboratory tests identified the presence of both streptococci and staphylococci in the sample.
Etymology
The term originates from modern scientific Latin Staphylococcus, coined in the late 19th century. It is a direct compound of two Greek elements: staphylē ("bunch of grapes") and kokkos ("berry"). This nomenclature is vividly descriptive, as the bacteria, when viewed under a microscope, resemble a cluster of berries or grapes. The plural form staphylococci follows the standard Latinate pluralization pattern for such scientific terms, replacing the singular -us ending with -i.
Analysis
- staphylo: From Greek staphylē, meaning "a bunch of grapes" or "cluster." In this word, it functions as a combining form denoting a clustered arrangement. - cocc: From Greek kokkos, meaning "grain," "seed," or "berry." In microbiology, it is a combining form used to denote spherical bacterial cells. - i: A Latin suffix used to form the plural of nouns borrowed from Greek ending in -us (e.g., coccus -> cocci).