spirochete

spi·ro·chete  (spr-kt)

n.

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

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[New Latin Sprochaeta, genus name : Latin spra, coil; see spire² + New Latin chaeta, bristle, hair; see chaeta.]

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spiro·chetal (-ktl) adj.

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spirochete  (spr-kt)

Any of various bacteria of the order Spirochaetales that are shaped like a spiral, such as Treponema pallidum, the pathogen that causes syphilis.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

spirochete - parasitic or free-living bacteria; many pathogenic to humans and other animals spirochaete eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria - a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls; motile types have flagella order Spirochaetales, Spirochaetales - higher bacteria; slender spiral rodlike forms treponema - spirochete that causes disease in humans (e.g. syphilis and yaws) borrelia - cause of e.g. European and African relapsing fever Borrelia burgdorferi, Lime disease spirochete - cause of Lyme disease; transmitted primarily by ticks of genus Ixodes leptospira - important pathogens causing Weil's disease or canicola fever