n, pl  -li   1 a  cap  :  a genus of rod-shaped gram-positive endospore-producing usu. aerobic bacteria of the family Bacillaceae that include many saprophytes and some parasites (as B. anthracis of anthrax)  b  :  any bacterium of the genus Bacillus : broadly  :  a straight rod-shaped bacterium  2  :  BACTERIUM : esp  :  a disease-producing bacterium .
 
 
 
Similar sounding terms:  Bac·il·la·ce·ae  ba·sa·lis 
 
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