salmonella

noun

sal·​mo·​nel·​la ˌsal-mə-ˈne-lə 

plural salmonellae ˌsal-mə-ˈne-(ˌ)lē 

-ˌlī

or salmonellas or salmonella

: any of a genus (Salmonella) of usually motile enterobacteria that are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals and cause food poisoning, gastrointestinal inflammation, typhoid fever, or septicemia

Examples of salmonella in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

To avoid contamination of Escherichia. coli (E. coli) and salmonella, purchase whole onions rather than pre-chopped.1 Summary Onions are a nutritious vegetable that has antifungal, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and many other healthy properties. —Melissa Porrey Lpc, Verywell Health, 28 Feb. 2025

The product has the potential to be contaminated with salmonella, the FDA warns. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 28 Feb. 2025

The American Veterinary Medical Association's website discourages this due to foodborne pathogens like salmonella and listeria, and now the highly pathogenic H5N1. —Sarah Boden, ABC News, 10 Feb. 2025

But house cats are not wild animals, and most veterinarians advise against feeding companion animals raw food because of pathogens like salmonella and listeria. —Sarah Boden, NPR, 22 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

New Latin, from Daniel E. Salmon †1914 American veterinarian

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for salmonella

• arabella
• bartonella
• bordetella
• cinderella
• citronella
• columella
• isabella
• klebsiella
• legionella
• mozzarella
• pasteurella
• trichinella

Kids Definition

salmonella

noun

sal·​mo·​nel·​la ˌsal-mə-ˈnel-ə 

plural salmonellae -ˈnel-ē 

-ˌī

or salmonellas or salmonella

: any of a genus of rod-shaped bacteria that cause various illnesses (as food poisoning) in human beings and other warm-blooded animals

Medical Definition

salmonella

noun

sal·​mo·​nel·​la ˌsal-mə-ˈnel-ə 

1

capitalized : a genus of aerobic gram-negative rod-shaped nonspore-forming usually motile bacteria of the family Enterobacteriaceae that grow well on artificial media and form acid and gas on many carbohydrates but not on lactose, sucrose, or salicin, that are pathogenic for humans and other warm-blooded animals, and that cause food poisoning, acute gastrointestinal inflammation, typhoid fever, and septicemia

2

plural salmonellae -ˈnel-ē  or salmonellas or salmonella : any bacterium of the genus Salmonella