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Glite Dictionary
comma bacillus

comma bacillus

8.6
A curved germ that causes cholera, an illness with severe diarrhea
  • noun
  • /ˈkɒmə bəˈsɪləs/
  • Archaic
translation icon : bacilo de la cólera
  • Proper sanitation prevents the spread of the comma bacillus and reduces cholera outbreaks.

Examples

  • Under a microscope, the comma bacillus appears as a curved, rod-shaped bacterium.

  • The comma bacillus was identified as the causative agent of cholera in the 19th century.

  • The comma bacillus is responsible for cholera outbreaks.

  • Researchers are studying the comma bacillus to find a vaccine.

  • Proper sanitation prevents the spread of the comma bacillus and reduces cholera outbreaks.

  • The comma bacillus was identified as the causative agent of cholera in the 19th century.

  • Under a microscope, the comma bacillus appears as a curved, rod-shaped bacterium.

Synonyms

Vibrio comma
vscomma bacillus
  • Archaic
9.9

An old name for the bacteria that cause cholera

is the modern scientific name used today for the same organism
Vibrio cholerae
vscomma bacillus
  • Specialized
4.5

A type of bacteria that causes cholera and often lives in water

focuses on the curved shape and its role in Asiatic cholera rather than habitat

Surface Forms

comma bacillus singular
comma bacilli plural

Morphology

comma + bacillus

The phrase composes transparently: 'comma' names a shape and 'bacillus' names a bacterium, so a learner who knows both can infer a comma-shaped bacterium. The link to Vibrio cholerae is encyclopedic detail but the core meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

The name comma bacillus comes from how the germ looks under a microscope: it is curved like a small comma, and bacillus is a word for a tiny rod-shaped germ. So, comma bacillus is the name for the germ that causes Asiatic cholera.