coliphage: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2/Highly TechnicalSpecialist/Scientific (Academic, Medical, Microbiological)
Quick answer
What does “coliphage” mean?
A virus that specifically infects and replicates within Escherichia coli bacteria.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A virus that specifically infects and replicates within Escherichia coli bacteria.
A bacteriophage (virus) whose natural host is the Escherichia coli bacterium; often used as a model system in molecular biology and genetics research.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No difference in meaning, spelling, or usage. The term is used identically in both scientific communities.
Connotations
None beyond the scientific definition.
Frequency
Equally rare and exclusively technical in both regions. Primarily encountered in academic papers, microbiology labs, and advanced biology textbooks.
Grammar
How to Use “coliphage” in a Sentence
The [ADJ] coliphage [VERB] the bacteria.Researchers isolated a coliphage [PREP] [SOURCE].Coliphages are used [INFINITIVE].Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “coliphage” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- The phage coliphaged the culture overnight.
- The process of coliphaging the host cell is rapid.
American English
- The virus coliphaged the E. coli strain.
- We observed the bacteriophage coliphaging the bacteria.
adverb
British English
- The culture was infected coliphagically.
- The lysis occurred coliphagically.
American English
- The virus spread coliphagically through the medium.
- The genes were expressed coliphagically.
adjective
British English
- The coliphage DNA was extracted for sequencing.
- They conducted a coliphage assay on the water sample.
American English
- They studied the coliphage lifecycle.
- A coliphage plaque assay was performed.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Common in microbiology, virology, genetics, and molecular biology research papers and lectures.
Everyday
Never used in everyday conversation.
Technical
The primary context. Used in lab protocols, scientific discussions, and technical reports on water quality (as indicator organisms).
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “coliphage”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “coliphage”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “coliphage”
- Mispronouncing as 'college-phage' or 'cool-i-fahj'.
- Using it as a general term for any bacteriophage.
- Misspelling as 'colyphage' or 'coliphague'.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Coliphages infect only specific bacteria (E. coli) and are not capable of infecting human cells.
They are found wherever their host bacteria (E. coli) live, especially in the intestines of warm-blooded animals and in environments contaminated with faecal matter, like wastewater.
They are simple model systems that have been crucial for discovering fundamental principles of molecular biology, such as DNA replication, gene regulation, and the structure of viruses.
Potentially, in phage therapy, which uses bacteriophages to treat bacterial infections. However, this is still an emerging field and not standard practice for human E. coli infections.
A virus that specifically infects and replicates within Escherichia coli bacteria.
Coliphage is usually specialist/scientific (academic, medical, microbiological) in register.
Coliphage: in British English it is pronounced /ˈkəʊlɪfeɪdʒ/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈkoʊlɪfeɪdʒ/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “None”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of COLI (like E. coli bacteria) being invaded by a PHAGE (a virus that 'eats' or infects it) = COLI + PHAGE.
Conceptual Metaphor
A specialized predator or parasite (the phage) that hunts a specific prey (E. coli bacteria).
Practice
Quiz
What is a primary use of coliphages in environmental science?