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streptococcus

Any spherical bacterium of the genus Streptococcus, which occurs in chains and is the causative agent of various diseases such as strep throat and scarlet fever.
[C/U] Both
pl: streptococci

This term carries a sterile, clinical weight, evoking the atmosphere of a pathology lab or a physician's office. It is primarily used in medical diagnostics and microbiology to identify the specific biological agent responsible for an infection.

In common parlance, people rarely use the full term, opting instead for the shorthand "strep" when discussing a sore throat. Using the full word "streptococcus" signals a shift from a casual symptom description to a formal medical diagnosis.

Countable when referring to an individual bacterial cell or a specific strain. Uncountable when referring to the bacteria as a collective mass or the general causative agent of a disease.

💬Casual Conversation

🎬Tuesday afternoon, Chloe is in a lecture hall while Karen is at home.
Karen Smith

Leo's test came back positive for streptococcus. Don't come home and get sick.

Karen Smith
Chloe Smith
Chloe Smith

k. i'm already drowning in finals, can't deal with a fever rn.

💡
Karen is being her typical overbearing self by warning Chloe about the specific bacterium. Chloe uses the idiom 'drowning in' to express being overwhelmed by her studies and 'rn' (right now) as common internet shorthand.

Meanings

Noun

Any spherical bacterium of the genus Streptococcus, which occurs in chains and is the causative agent of various diseases such as strep throat and scarlet fever.

The doctor ordered a throat culture to determine if the infection was caused by streptococcus.

Examples

It is streptococcus.

Streptococcus causes illness.

I have streptococcus.

The test found streptococcus today.

She was sick with streptococcus.

Streptococcus can spread very fast.

The nurse checked for streptococcus in the clinic.

Health

He missed class because of a streptococcus infection.

School Life

The detective found a medical report mentioning streptococcus.

Detective

Certain strains of streptococcus are resistant to common antibiotics.

Trivia

Historical records show streptococcus outbreaks in early military camps.

History

We must ensure the lab is sterile to avoid streptococcus contamination.

Business

Related Words

bacteriacoccuspathogeninfectionstreptococcalmicrobestaphylococcusantibioticsepsis
Last Updated: May 2026Report an Error