strep
streps
Strep is a bacterium that can make you sick. If your throat is really sore and you're feeling feverish, you just might have strep throat — a condition caused by the strep bacterium.
Strep is short for streptococcus, and because it's a bacterium, it can usually be treated with antibiotics. As a noun, the word refers to the microorganism itself, and when strep is an adjective, it describes conditions that are caused by the bacteria, like strep throat or strep pneumonia. An Austrian doctor coined the word streptococcus in the 1870s, from strepto-, "twisted" in Latin, and cocco-, "seed."
Definitions of strep
-
spherical Gram-positive bacteria occurring in pairs or chains; cause e.g. scarlet fever and tonsillitis
-
synonyms:
streptococci, streptococcus
-
type of:
-
eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria
a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls; motile types have flagella
-
eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria
-
of or relating to or caused by streptococci
-
synonyms:
streptococcal, streptococcic
DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘strep'.
Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Vocabulary.com or its editors.
Send us feedback
Word Family
EDITOR'S CHOICE
Look up strep for the last time
Close your vocabulary gaps with personalized learning that focuses on teaching the words you need to know.
