Spirillum

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Spirillum \Spi*ril"lum\, n. [NL., dim. of L. spira a coil.]
     1. (Biol.) A genus of common gram-negative motile
        microorganisms (family {Spirillaceae}) having the form of
        spiral-shaped filaments. They are obligately
        microaerophilic, and do not ferment carbohydrates.
        --Stedman.


        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. A species of bacteria ({Borrelia recurrentis}, also known
        as {Obermeier's spirillum}), once believed to belong to
        the genus {Spirillum}, which causes relapsing fever.
        [PJC]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  spirillum
       n 1: spirally twisted elongate rodlike bacteria usually living in
            stagnant water
       2: any flagellated aerobic bacteria having a spirally twisted
          rodlike form [syn: {spirilla}]
       [also: {spirilla} (pl)]