Gonococci

/ɡoʊnəˈkɑkˌsaɪ/ noun

Definition

Plural of gonococcus; multiple rod-shaped bacterial cells that cause gonorrhea.

Etymology

Greek plural of gonococcus, using the '-i' ending instead of English '-es,' following scientific Latin conventions for naming bacteria.

Kelly Says

Bacteria get Latin-style plural names (gonococci, not 'gonococcs'), which means every microbiology textbook is technically written in a hybrid language.

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