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spirillum: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

C2/Technical
UK/spʌɪˈrɪləm/US/spaɪˈrɪləm/

Scientific/Medical

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Quick answer

What does “spirillum” mean?

A genus of bacteria characterized by a rigid, spiral shape.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A genus of bacteria characterized by a rigid, spiral shape.

Any bacterium of the genus Spirillum; more broadly, any spiral-shaped bacterium, though this usage is less precise in modern taxonomy.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

No significant difference in meaning or usage. Spelling is consistent.

Connotations

Neutral, technical term in both varieties.

Frequency

Equally low-frequency and specialized in both regions.

Grammar

How to Use “spirillum” in a Sentence

The [noun] contained spirilla.Spirillum [verb] in [environment].

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
spirillum bacteriaspirillum speciesspirillum genusspirillum minus
medium
observe spirillumidentify spirillumcultivate spirillumpathogenic spirillum
weak
water spirillumshape of spirillumstudy of spirillum

Examples

Examples of “spirillum” in a Sentence

adjective

British English

  • The spirillar morphology was evident under the microscope.

American English

  • Spirillar bacteria were isolated from the water sample.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Academic

Used in microbiology textbooks and research papers discussing bacterial morphology or specific pathogens like Spirillum minus.

Everyday

Virtually never used.

Technical

Core term in bacteriology, clinical microbiology, and veterinary science.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “spirillum”

Neutral

spiral bacteriumspirochete (though taxonomically distinct)

Weak

curved rodhelical bacterium

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “spirillum”

coccusbacillus

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “spirillum”

  • Using 'spirillum' as a general term for all spiral bacteria (some are spirochetes).
  • Incorrect pluralization (e.g., 'spirillums'). Correct plural is 'spirilla'.

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No. While both are spiral-shaped, spirilla have a rigid cell wall and use flagella for movement, whereas spirochetes have a flexible cell wall and move via axial filaments. They belong to different taxonomic groups.

Almost never. It is a highly specialised term confined to microbiology and related scientific or medical fields.

Spirillum minus causes rat-bite fever (Sodoku), a bacterial infection transmitted by rodents.

No. It refers specifically to a genus of bacteria. It is not used for viruses, fungi, or parasites.

A genus of bacteria characterized by a rigid, spiral shape.

Spirillum is usually scientific/medical in register.

Spirillum: in British English it is pronounced /spʌɪˈrɪləm/, and in American English it is pronounced /spaɪˈrɪləm/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Think of a 'spiral' (spir-) and a small organism ('-illum' sounds like 'little'). A little spiral-shaped thing.

Conceptual Metaphor

SHAPE AS CLASSIFIER (The defining characteristic is its physical form, which gives it its name and groups it with similar organisms.)

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
The veterinary report noted the presence of in the blood sample, suggesting a possible infection.
Multiple Choice

What is the correct plural form of 'spirillum'?