coccidioides: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Technical/Scientific/Medical
Quick answer
What does “coccidioides” mean?
A genus of dimorphic fungi that can cause the disease coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever).
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A genus of dimorphic fungi that can cause the disease coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever).
The term refers specifically to fungi in the genus Coccidioides, primarily Coccidioides immitis and Coccidioides posadasii. In medical contexts, it refers to the pathogen itself and often serves as shorthand for the infection it causes.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No major differences in meaning or usage. The fungal genus and disease are known in both regions, though the disease is geographically limited.
Connotations
Carries strong medical/scientific connotations in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both varieties, used only in relevant professional fields.
Grammar
How to Use “coccidioides” in a Sentence
Coccidioides causes [disease]Coccidioides is endemic to [region]infection with Coccidioidesa test for CoccidioidesVocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “coccidioides” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The patient may have coccidioidal infection.
- The lab is testing to coccidioidal the sample.
American English
- The patient may have a coccidioidal infection.
- The lab is testing for coccidioidal organisms.
adjective
British English
- coccidioidal meningitis
- coccidioidal serology
American English
- coccidioidal disease
- coccidioidal antibody test
Usage
Meaning in Context
Academic
Used in medical and biological research papers, textbooks, and case studies.
Everyday
Virtually never used in everyday conversation unless discussing a specific diagnosis.
Technical
Core term in clinical microbiology, infectious disease, and pulmonary medicine.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “coccidioides”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “coccidioides”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “coccidioides”
- Mispronunciation (e.g., 'cocci-dioides' instead of 'coccid-ioid-es').
- Misspelling (e.g., 'coccidiodes', 'coccydiodes').
- Using 'coccidioides' interchangeably as the disease name rather than the fungal genus.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No, Coccidioides is not contagious between people. Infection occurs only from inhaling fungal spores from the environment.
It is endemic to arid and semi-arid regions of the southwestern United States, parts of Mexico, and Central and South America.
It is commonly called Valley Fever, but the medical term is coccidioidomycosis.
Many mild infections resolve on their own. For severe or disseminated cases, antifungal medications such as fluconazole or amphotericin B are used.
A genus of dimorphic fungi that can cause the disease coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever).
Coccidioides is usually technical/scientific/medical in register.
Coccidioides: in British English it is pronounced /kɒkˌsɪd.iˈɔɪ.diːz/, and in American English it is pronounced /kɑkˌsɪd.iˈɔɪ.diz/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Valley Fever (common name for the disease caused by Coccidioides)”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: COCCus (round bacterial shape, though it's a fungus) + IDIO (unique) + IDES (plural suffix) -> the round, unique fungus.
Conceptual Metaphor
PATHOGEN AS INVADER (e.g., 'Coccidioides invaded the lung tissue').
Practice
Quiz
What type of organism is Coccidioides?