n. pl. co·ry·ne·bac·te·ri·a (-tîrē-ə) Any of various gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria of the genus Corynebacterium, which includes many animal and plant pathogens, such as the causative agent of diphtheria. [New Latin Corynēbacterium, genus name : Greek korunē, club; see ker-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots + BACTERIUM.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.