bacteriophage
noun
bac·te·ri·o·phage
bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌfāj 
also
-ˌfäzh
plural bacteriophages
: a virus that infects bacteria : phage
Much smaller than the bacteria they attack, bacteriophages cannot grow and multiply on their own.—
C. Claiborne Ray
C. Claiborne RayThe genes were amplified by using PCR [=polymerase chain reaction] and inserted into … a bacteriophage of E. coli.—Ricki Lewis
Ricki LewisExamples of bacteriophage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
One company is aiming to treat infections with a different strategy: arming tiny viruses called bacteriophages with Crispr.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Sep. 2024
These remarkable entities were named bacteriophages — literally bacteria-eaters — or phages for short.
—Cecilia.butini, Vox, 4 June 2024
The development of antibiotics sidelined bacteriophage use for decades, except in a handful of countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
—Cecilia.butini, Vox, 4 June 2024
This discovery resulted from an exhaustive study of the bacteriophage T4, a virus that infects bacteria.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bacteriophage 
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Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Sep. 2024
These remarkable entities were named bacteriophages — literally bacteria-eaters — or phages for short.
—Cecilia.butini, Vox, 4 June 2024
The development of antibiotics sidelined bacteriophage use for decades, except in a handful of countries in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.
—Cecilia.butini, Vox, 4 June 2024
This discovery resulted from an exhaustive study of the bacteriophage T4, a virus that infects bacteria.
—William A. Haseltine, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
See all Example Sentences for bacteriophage
Dictionary Entries Near bacteriophage
Cite this Entry
“Bacteriophage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/bacteriophage. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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