# bacillus

> English word · Noun · IPA /bæˈsɪl.əs/ · frequency rank #41,520

## Definitions
1. Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming aerobic bacteria in the genus Bacillus, some of which cause disease.
2. Any bacilliform (rod-shaped) bacterium.
3. Something which spreads like bacterial infection.

## Etymology
Learned borrowing from Latin bacillus (“little staff, wand”), diminutive of baculum (“stick, staff, walking stick”).

## Common misspellings (10)
`abcillus`, `baccillus`, `bacillsu`, `bacilluss`, `baciluls`, `bacilus`, `baclilus`, `baicllus`, `bbacillus`, `bcaillus`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/bacillus