meningococcus: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
LowTechnical / Medical / Scientific
Quick answer
What does “meningococcus” mean?
A type of bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis) that can cause serious infections like meningitis and septicaemia.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A type of bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis) that can cause serious infections like meningitis and septicaemia.
The term refers specifically to the pathogenic bacterium. In broader use, it can denote the organism causing meningococcal disease. It is also used in laboratory and public health contexts to classify and discuss strains, outbreaks, and vaccine development.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical or grammatical differences. Spelling and usage are identical in medical contexts.
Connotations
Identical technical connotations of a dangerous pathogen.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency and specialized in both dialects, used primarily by healthcare professionals, microbiologists, and in public health communications.
Grammar
How to Use “meningococcus” in a Sentence
The [diagnostic test] identified meningococcus.Vaccination protects against meningococcus.[Patient] was infected with meningococcus.Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “meningococcus” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- Not applicable as a verb.
American English
- Not applicable as a verb.
adverb
British English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
American English
- Not applicable as an adverb.
adjective
British English
- The meningococcal isolate was sent for further testing.
- A meningococcal carriage study was conducted.
American English
- The meningococcal strain was typed as serogroup B.
- Meningococcal vaccination is recommended for adolescents.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Virtually never used.
Academic
Used in medical, microbiological, and public health research papers and textbooks.
Everyday
Rarely used outside of news reports about disease outbreaks or public health campaigns.
Technical
Standard term in clinical medicine, microbiology, epidemiology, and vaccine development.
Vocabulary
Synonyms of “meningococcus”
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms of “meningococcus”
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “meningococcus”
- Using 'meningococcus' to refer to the disease (meningitis) instead of the bacterium.
- Incorrect pluralisation ('meningococcuses' instead of 'meningococci').
- Confusing it with 'pneumococcus' (a different bacterium).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, meningococcus is spread through close contact with respiratory and throat secretions (e.g., coughing, kissing). However, it is not as contagious as viruses causing the common cold or flu.
It primarily causes meningococcal meningitis (infection of the brain and spinal cord lining) and meningococcal septicaemia (blood poisoning), which can be life-threatening.
Yes, vaccines are available that protect against the most common serogroups (types) of meningococcus (A, B, C, W, Y). Vaccination schedules vary by country.
Meningococcus is the name of the bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis). Meningitis is a medical condition—the inflammation of the meninges (brain linings)—which can be caused by this bacterium, but also by other bacteria, viruses, or fungi.
A type of bacterium (Neisseria meningitidis) that can cause serious infections like meningitis and septicaemia.
Meningococcus is usually technical / medical / scientific in register.
Meningococcus: in British English it is pronounced /məˌnɪŋɡəʊˈkɒkəs/, and in American English it is pronounced /məˌnɪŋɡoʊˈkɑːkəs/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Not applicable for this highly technical term.”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: MENINGitis + COCCUS (round bacterium) = MENINGOCOCCUS, the round bug that causes meningitis.
Conceptual Metaphor
PATHOGEN AS INVADER / THREAT
Practice
Quiz
What is meningococcus?