ser·ra·ti·a (s ĕ-r āsh ē- ə, -sh ə)
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n. pl. serratia Any of various red, rod-shaped bacteria of the genus Serratia, especially S. marcescens, that are found in the intestinal tract, are resistant to many antibiotics, and cause nosocomial and opportunistic infections such as wound infections and pneumonia as well as disease in coral reefs.
[New Latin Serratia, genus name, after Serafino Serrati, Italian physicist who developed an early steamboat engine and operated the first steamboat on the Arno in 1787.] |