Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Any of various slender, spiral, motile bacteria of the order Spirochaetales, many of which are pathogenic, causing syphilis, relapsing fever, yaws, and other diseases.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun any of several coiled bacteria, of the order Spirochaetales, most of which are pathogenic to both humans and animals

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun parasitic or free-living bacteria; many pathogenic to humans and other animals

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[New Latin Spīrochaeta, genus name : Latin spīra, coil; see spire + New Latin chaeta, bristle, hair; see chaeta.]

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Examples

  • Syphilis is caused by an organism called Treponema pallidum, which is a type of bacterium called a spirochete, and is characterised by three stages: primary syphilis, secondary syphilis and tertiary syphilis.

    Bedlam Catharine Arnold 2008

  • Syphilis is caused by an organism called Treponema pallidum, which is a type of bacterium called a spirochete, and is characterised by three stages: primary syphilis, secondary syphilis and tertiary syphilis.

    Bedlam Catharine Arnold 2008

  • Syphilis is caused by an organism called Treponema pallidum, which is a type of bacterium called a spirochete, and is characterised by three stages: primary syphilis, secondary syphilis and tertiary syphilis.

    Bedlam Catharine Arnold 2008

  • Caused by the bacteria known as a spirochete (the same bacteria that causes syphilis), it is contracted by drinking water contaminated with animal urine.

    Science Blog - Science news straight from the source wilkinae 2008

  • She thinks the flagellum came about by symbiogenesis of a spirochete with another bacteria.

    Behe and Gene discuss the Evolution of the Flagellum 2009

  • Perhaps their two functioning brain cells are held together by a spirochete? —

    Think Progress » Palin bars media from two upcoming Florida events. 2010

  • Perhaps their two functioning brain cells are held together by a spirochete?

    Think Progress » Palin bars media from two upcoming Florida events. 2010

  • Damn spirochete tries to kick my ass, I will kick its ass.

    The Cartographic Me (Plate I: Legs) | clusterflock 2010

  • The logic was circular, the language tethered only to itself, not to something as solid as a spirochete or a bacillus.

    MANUFACTURING DEPRESSION Gary Greenberg 2010

  • Because it vaguely resembled the spiraling trypanosomes, it made sense to see whether compound 418, which had killed those germs so well, would also attack the syphilis spirochete.

    MANUFACTURING DEPRESSION Gary Greenberg 2010

Comments

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  • reesetee, this one is definitely worse than it sounds, no? It's an awfully pretty word for such a nasty thing.

    May 24, 2008

  • Oh, yes. Good catch. :-)

    May 24, 2008