plural E. coli
: an enterobacterium (Escherichia coli) that is used in public health as an indicator of fecal pollution (as of water or food) and in medicine and genetics as a research organism and that occurs in various strains that may live as harmless inhabitants of the human lower intestine or may produce a toxin causing intestinal illness see enterobacterium illustration

Examples of E. coli in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
At least 104 people have been sickened, with 34 hospitalized, in an outbreak of E. coli food poisoning tied to onions served on McDonald’s Quarter Pounder hamburgers, federal health officials said Wednesday. Jonel Aleccia, The Denver Post, 13 Nov. 2024 McDonald’s temporarily stopped selling Quarter Pounders in about one-fifth of its restaurants until testing ruled out beef patties as the E. coli source. Brenda Goodman, CNN, 2 Nov. 2024 Nearly 100 people have fallen ill after onions served in burgers from McDonald's were found to be contaminated with E. coli, a bacterium that can cause food poisoning. Nina Turner, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024 More than 80% of people with E. coli interviewed by government investigators reported eating McDonald’s items containing fresh, slivered onions, the FDA noted. Matthew Perrone, Fortune, 31 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for E. coli 

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of E. coli was in 1925

Dictionary Entries Near E. coli

ecol

E. coli

e-collar

Cite this Entry

“E. coli.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/E.%20coli. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

E. coli

noun
plural E. coli
: a bacterium in the shape of a short rod that may cause intestinal illness
Etymology

short for Escherichia coli, the taxonomic name in biology

Medical Definition

E. coli

noun
ˌē-ˈkō-ˌlī
plural E. coli also E. colis
: a straight rod-shaped gram-negative bacterium (Escherichia coli of the family Enterobacteriaceae) that is used in public health as an indicator of fecal pollution (as of water or food) and in medicine and genetics as a research organism and that occurs in various strains that may live as harmless inhabitants of the human lower intestine or may produce a toxin causing intestinal illness marked especially by diarrhea
one million acid-resistant E. coli per gram of fecesJohn Schwartz
this E. coli can survive … longer than all the other E. colisEd Geldreich
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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