any Gram-positive spherical bacterium of the genus Streptococcus, typically occurring in chains and including many pathogenic species, such as S. pyogenes, which causes scarlet fever, sore throat, etc: family Lactobacillaceae
Often shortened to: strep
WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026
strep•to•coc•cus /ˌstrɛptəˈkɑkəs/USA pronunciation
n., pl. -coc•ci
WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026- /-ˈkɑksaɪ, -si/USA pronunciation .
- a round bacteria occurring in pairs or chains:Certain streptococci cause such diseases as tonsillitis, pneumonia, and scarlet fever.
strep•to•coc•cus
(strep′tə kok′əs),USA pronunciation n., pl. -coc•ci (-kok′sī, -sē).USA pronunciation [Bacteriol.]
strep•to•coc•cal
(strep′tə kok′əl),USA pronunciation strep•to•coc•cic
(strep′tə kok′sik),USA pronunciation adj.
- Microbiologyany of several spherical or oval bacteria of the genus Streptococcus, occurring in pairs or chains, certain species of which are pathogenic for humans, causing scarlet fever, tonsillitis, etc.
- Neo-Latin; see strepto-, coccus
- 1875–80;
Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
'streptococcus' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
coccus
- distemper
- erysipelas
- kefir
- pneumonia
- scarlet fever
- septic sore throat
- strangles
- strep
- strepto-
- streptolysin