A disease or infection caused by Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria, particularly affecting poultry and livestock.
Coined from 'coli' (from E. coli bacteria, named after the colon) combined with 'bacillus' (rod-shaped bacterium) and '-osis' (medical suffix indicating disease or condition). The term emerged in veterinary medicine during the 20th century.
E. coli is actually beneficial in your gut, but colibacillosis shows why context matters in biology—the same bacteria can be helpful at home and dangerous in the bloodstream, a concept called pathogenic potential!
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.