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

The genes were amplified by using PCR [=polymerase chain reaction] and inserted into … a bacteriophage of E. coli.

—Ricki Lewis

bacteriophagy

(ˌ)bak-ˌtir-ē-ˈä-fə-jē 

noun

Examples of bacteriophage in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Fortunately, a small but growing group of researchers and clinicians has been working to revive a decades-old treatment for drug-resistant infections: bacteriophages, viruses that target and kill bacteria. —Dylan Matthews, Vox, 3 Dec. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

International Scientific Vocabulary

First Known Use

1917, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

bacteriophage

noun

bac·​te·​rio·​phage

bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌfāj,

-ˌfāzh

: any of various viruses that specifically attack bacteria

Medical Definition

bacteriophage

noun

bac·​te·​ri·​o·​phage bak-ˈtir-ē-ə-ˌfāj  -ˌfäzh 

: a virus that infects bacteria : phage

Bacteriophages invade bacterial cells and burst them open before they have a chance to produce lactic acid.

—Diana Morgan and Terence Monmaney, Science

bacteriophagy

(ˌ)bak-ˌtir-ē-ˈäf-ə-jē 

noun