listeria
noun
lis·te·ria
li-ˈstir-ē-ə 
plural listeria
: any of a genus (Listeria) of small, gram-positive, rod-shaped bacteria that do not form spores and have a tendency to grow in chains and that include one (Listeria monocytogenes) that causes listeriosis
A common germ found in many foods from raw vegetables to hot dogs, listeria can cause a sometimes fatal disease called listeriosis when present in large quantities.—
Amy Barrett
Amy Barrett
also
: a disease or sickness caused by infection with this bacterium : listeriosis
Listeria symptoms include high fever, severe headache, stiffness, nausea, abdominal pain and diarrhea. —Sierra Brown
Sierra Brown Examples of listeria in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The death toll in a listeria outbreak linked to frozen supplement shakes distributed at nursing homes and hospitals has risen to 12, according to a Food and Drug Administration update shared Monday.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
An ongoing listeria outbreak credited with 11 deaths is linked to frozen supplemental shakes.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
An infant died and 10 adults were sickened amid a four-state listeria outbreak connected to ready-to-eat meat products last year.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
They have been linked to a deadly listeria outbreak that has killed at least 11 people since 2018.
—David Leonhardt, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
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Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA TODAY, 26 Feb. 2025
An ongoing listeria outbreak credited with 11 deaths is linked to frozen supplemental shakes.
—David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 24 Feb. 2025
An infant died and 10 adults were sickened amid a four-state listeria outbreak connected to ready-to-eat meat products last year.
—Patrick Smith, NBC News, 24 Feb. 2025
They have been linked to a deadly listeria outbreak that has killed at least 11 people since 2018.
—David Leonhardt, New York Times, 24 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for listeria
Articles Related to listeria
Cite this Entry
“Listeria.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/listeria. Accessed 9 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
listeria
noun
lis·te·ria
lis-ˈtir-ē-ə
1
capitalized
: a genus of small gram-positive flagellated rod-shaped bacteria that do not form spores, are aerobic or facultatively anaerobic, and have a tendency to grow in chains and that include one (L. monocytogenes) causing listeriosis
2
: any bacterium of the genus Listeria
called also listerella
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