n :  a genus (the type of the family Neisseriaceae) of parasitic bacteria that grow in pairs and occas. tetrads, thrive best at 37°C (98.6°F) in the animal body or serum media, and include the gonococcus (N. gonorrhoeae) and meningococcus (N. meningitidis)
 
Neis•ser, Albert Ludwig Sigesmund (1855-1916), German dermatologist. Neisser discovered the bacillus that causes gonorrhea in 1879. In 1885 the genus Neisseria, named in his honor, was described, and this microorganism and related bacteria were placed in it.
 
 
 
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