plural salmonellae ˌsal-mə-ˈne-(ˌ)lē How to pronounce salmonella (audio)
-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
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.
One of the biggest obstacles, however, is the approach the United States takes to preventing salmonella contamination. Vanessa Gera and Kerstin Sopke, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025 The American Veterinary Medical Association’s website discourages this due to foodborne pathogens like salmonella and listeria, and now the highly pathogenic H5N1. Kff Health News, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Feb. 2025 Related Articles Opinion: Big food wants to feed America’s protein obsession 18 ways to save money on groceries A world without salmonella? Jia H. Jung, The Mercury News, 22 Feb. 2025 One lot of Aleppo Sesame Paste Tahini, 858 cases, has been recalled in 19 states after the Ohio Department of Agriculture found salmonella in a retail-ready product. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 9 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for salmonella

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

1913, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of salmonella was in 1913

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Salmonella.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/salmonella. Accessed 1 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

salmonella

noun
plural salmonellae -ˈnel-ē How to pronounce salmonella (audio)
-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
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 How to pronounce salmonella (audio) or salmonellas or salmonella : any bacterium of the genus Salmonella

More from Merriam-Webster on salmonella

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