bacteroid

or bac·te·ri·oid

[ bak-tuh-roid or bak-teer-ee-oid ]
/ ˈbæk təˌrɔɪd or bækˈtɪər iˌɔɪd /

noun

any of the rod-shaped or branched bacteria in the root nodules of nitrogen-fixing plants.

adjective

Also bac·te·roi·dal, bac·te·ri·oi·dal. resembling bacteria.

Origin of bacteroid

First recorded in 1850–55; bacter- + -oid

Words nearby bacteroid

bacteriostat, bacteriotoxin, bacterium, bacteriuria, bacterize, bacteroid, bacteroides, bacteroides capillosus, bacteroides disiens, bacteroides fragilis, bacteroides melaninogenicus

British Dictionary definitions for bacteroid

bacteroid
/ (ˈbæktəˌrɔɪd) /

adjective

resembling a bacterium

noun

any rodlike bacterium of the genus Bacteroides, occurring in the gut of humans and animals