-bacter

������ does -bacter mean?

The combining form -bacter is used like a suffix meaning “rod.” It is often used in scientific terms, especially in biology to name bacteria.The form -bacter comes from Greek ��á��ٰ��Dz�, meaning “stick.” Discover how the word for “stick” came to denote microorganisms at our entry for bacterium.From a related Greek word, �������ḗr����, which means “staff” or “cane,” English inherits the combining forms bacter-, bacteri-, and bacterio-. Want to learn more? Check out our Words That Use articles for all three forms.Related to both ��á��ٰ��Dz� and �������ḗr���� is the Latin noun baculum, “staff,” the source of both the combining form bacill-, which refers to a type of rod-shaped bacteria, and baguette, a rod-shaped loaf of bread.