bacteria
High (C1)Formal, Academic, Scientific, Medical, Everyday
Definition
Meaning
Microscopic, single-celled organisms, some of which can cause disease.
In informal or metaphorical use, refers to any pervasive, negative, or corrupting influence.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Strictly plural. The singular is 'bacterium'. Often used as a mass noun in general contexts (e.g., 'There's bacteria on it').
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or semantic differences. Pronunciation differs (see IPA).
Connotations
Identical. Connotes disease, hygiene, science, and microbiology.
Frequency
Equally frequent in both varieties due to the global scientific/medical lexicon.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Bacteria + verb (plural)Adjective + bacteriaPreposition + bacteria (e.g., infected with bacteria)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms with 'bacteria' as the head word]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
In marketing for cleaning products, pharmaceuticals, or probiotics: 'Our formula eliminates 99.9% of bacteria.'
Academic
In biology, medicine, and public health papers: 'The study examined the role of soil bacteria in nitrogen fixation.'
Everyday
In discussions of health, cleaning, and food safety: 'Wash your hands to get rid of bacteria.'
Technical
In microbiology labs: 'The bacteria were cultured on agar plates for 24 hours.'
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [No standard verb form. Occasionally used informally as 'to bacteria-proof'.]
American English
- [No standard verb form. Occasionally used informally as 'to bacteria-proof'.]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverb form derived from 'bacteria'.]
American English
- [No standard adverb form derived from 'bacteria'.]
adjective
British English
- Bacterial infection is a major concern.
- The bacterial load in the sample was high.
American English
- A bacterial outbreak was reported.
- They ran tests for bacterial contamination.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- Bacteria can make you ill.
- Wash fruit to remove bacteria.
- Some bacteria are good for your stomach.
- The doctor said a bacteria caused my sore throat.
- Antibiotics are used to kill harmful bacteria.
- The research focuses on how bacteria become resistant to drugs.
- The novel probiotic aims to rebalance the gut's bacterial ecosystem.
- Horizontal gene transfer among bacteria complicates efforts to control antibiotic resistance.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: 'BACK-tear-IA' – Imagine tiny creatures in the BACK of your TEAR duct causing an infection (IA).
Conceptual Metaphor
Bacteria are invaders/enemies (military metaphor: 'fight infection', 'kill bacteria'). Bacteria are a community/ecosystem (ecological metaphor: 'gut flora', 'balanced microbiome').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- False friend with Russian 'бактерия' (bakteriya). The Russian word is singular, but 'bacteria' in English is plural. Use 'a bacterium' for singular.
- Avoid using 'bacteria' with a singular verb (e.g., 'The bacteria is...' is incorrect).
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a singular noun: 'A bacteria was found.' (Correct: 'A bacterium was found.')
- Misspelling as 'bacterias' (no plural 's' needed; it's already plural).
Practice
Quiz
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is plural. The singular form is 'bacterium'. You should say 'these bacteria are', not 'this bacteria is'.
No. Many bacteria are harmless or beneficial. For example, gut bacteria aid digestion, and some bacteria are used in producing food like yogurt.
Bacteria are single-celled living organisms that can reproduce on their own. Viruses are smaller, not technically 'alive', and need a host cell to replicate. Antibiotics treat bacterial, not viral, infections.
No. 'Bacteria' is already a plural noun. Adding an 's' is incorrect. The correct plural is 'bacteria' and the singular is 'bacterium'.
Collections
Part of a collection
Health and Wellness
B1 · 49 words · Physical and mental health vocabulary.