Bacteriophage

Pronunciation: /bækˈtɪəriəˌfeɪdʒ/

Definitions of bacteriophage

noun a virus that specifically targets bacteria

Example Sentences

A1 A bacteriophage is a type of virus that infects and replicates within bacteria.

A2 Scientists are studying bacteriophages as a potential treatment for bacterial infections.

B1 The use of bacteriophages in medicine is known as phage therapy.

B2 Bacteriophages have been used in the food industry to control bacterial contamination.

C1 Research on bacteriophages has led to the development of new antibiotics.

C2 The specificity of bacteriophages makes them a promising tool for targeted bacterial eradication.

Examples of bacteriophage in a Sentence

formal Bacteriophages are viruses that infect and replicate within bacteria.

informal Bacteriophages are like tiny viruses that attack bacteria.

slang Those bacteriophages are like bacteria's worst nightmare.

figurative Bacteriophages can be seen as nature's way of controlling bacterial populations.

Grammatical Forms of bacteriophage

• past tense: bacteriophaged
• plural: bacteriophages
• comparative: more bacteriophage
• superlative: most bacteriophage
• present tense: bacteriophages
• future tense: will bacteriophage
• perfect tense: have bacteriophaged
• continuous tense: is bacteriophaging
• singular: bacteriophage
• positive degree: bacteriophage
• infinitive: to bacteriophage
• gerund: bacteriophaging
• participle: bacteriophaged

Origin and Evolution of bacteriophage

First Known Use: 1917 year

Language of Origin: Greek

Story behind the word: The word 'bacteriophage' originated from the Greek words 'bakterion' meaning 'small staff' and 'phagein' meaning 'to eat'.

Evolution of the word: The term was first coined by the French-Canadian microbiologist Félix d'Hérelle in 1917 to describe a virus that infects and replicates within bacteria. Over time, the word has become widely used in the field of microbiology to refer to viruses that specifically infect bacteria.