What does lactobacilli mean?
Lactobacilli is the plural of lactobacillus and refers to bacteria belonging to the genus Lactobacillus. These microorganisms convert sugars into lactic acid and play important roles in food fermentation, helping give yogurt, cheese, kefir, and other products their characteristic flavor and texture. Some lactobacilli also inhabit the digestive tract and are included in products marketed as probiotics, although probiotic claims vary according to the specific strain and product. In everyday writing, lactobacilli is often used collectively, while a single organism is called a lactobacillus. The word belongs primarily to scientific, nutritional, and food-production contexts and can appear in technical literature as well as consumer descriptions of probiotic foods. It should not be confused with bacilli generally, a much broader designation for rod-shaped bacteria.
nounLactobacilli are bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, including lactic-acid-producing organisms commonly found in fermented foods and the human digestive tract. The plural form is often used when referring collectively to bacteria used in foods and probiotics.
- The plural of lactobacillus, referring to bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus, especially lactic-acid-producing bacteria used in fermented foods or marketed as probiotics.
"The yogurt contains live lactobacilli that help ferment the milk and give it its characteristic tang."
"Live lactobacilli are added to some yogurts to improve their texture and flavor."
"Researchers studied how certain lactobacilli in the human gut respond to dietary changes."
Lactobacilli is the standard plural of lactobacillus. The singular is commonly written with a capital letter when naming the bacterial genus.
"These lactobacilli thrive in the acidic environment of fermented milk."
Lactobacilli are microscopic milk-associated bacteria with a major role in making yogurt, cheese, and other fermented foods.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does lactobacilli come from?
Lactobacilli is a New Latin plural formed from lactobacillus, a compound of Latin lac, meaning “milk,” and bacillus, meaning “small rod.” Bacillus itself comes from the Latin diminutive of Greek baktron, “rod” or “staff,” reflecting the bacteria's rod-like shape. The milk reference reflects the organisms' historical association with dairy fermentation.
Related word forms
How lactobacilli is actually used
Lactobacilli is a plural noun; the corresponding singular is lactobacillus. In formal scientific writing, Lactobacillus is capitalized when it names the bacterial genus, while lowercase is appropriate in general references to the organisms.
Easily confused with lactobacilli
Bacilli is a broad term for rod-shaped bacteria, whereas lactobacilli specifically refers to bacteria of the genus Lactobacillus.