lysogenic

adjective

ly·​so·​gen·​ic ˌlī-sə-ˈje-nik How to pronounce lysogenic (audio)
1
: harboring a prophage as hereditary material
lysogenic bacteria
2
: temperate sense 3
lysogenic viruses
lysogenicity noun

Examples of lysogenic 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.
This is the lysogenic cycle, an altogether stealthier approach to making more phages. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 5 Jan. 2011 For the new bladder phage study, Putonti and colleagues at Loyola focused on the more complex lysogenic phages in urine. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2018 Additionally, phages can cause different types of infections, typically either lytic or lysogenic. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2018 In lysogenic infections, phages invade bacterial cells but then sneak their genetic code into that of the bacterium’s, sometimes disrupting genes. Beth Mole, Ars Technica, 1 Feb. 2018 Viruses with this quality are called lysogenic phages. Marlene Cimons, Washington Post, 2 July 2017

Word History

Etymology

from the capacity of the prophage to lyse other bacteria

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of lysogenic was in 1899

Dictionary Entries Near lysogenic

Cite this Entry

“Lysogenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lysogenic. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

lysogenic

adjective
ly·​so·​gen·​ic ˌlī-sə-ˈjen-ik How to pronounce lysogenic (audio)
1
: harboring a prophage as hereditary material
lysogenic bacteria
2
: temperate sense 2
lysogenic viruses
lysogenicity noun
plural lysogenicities
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!