listeria
/lɪˈsteːɹi.ə/
Word Rarity
Rare
Frequency: 2.61 in modern English
8
Scrabble Score
8
Letters
4
Syllables
7
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Any rod-shaped, gram-positive bacterium, of the genus Listeria, especially those responsible for the bacterial infection listeriosis.
Example Sentences
- "One of the main reasons fridge temperatures are recommend to be set at 5ºC is because of listeria. Listeria is a food poisoning bacterium that is psychrotrophic – in other words it likes cold temperatures. From the growth models, we know that listeria grows nearly twice as fast at 8°C as it does at 5°C, hence the recommended 5ºC, which helps keep us safe from listeria."
- "Listeriosis is a foodborne disease caused by listeria bacteria."
Etymology
From the genus name Listeria.
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /lɪˈsteːɹi.ə/
Derived Forms
Synonyms
listerella