ETYM New Lat., from Greek streptos pliant, curved + kokkos a grain, seed.
(Irregular plural: streptococci).
Spherical gram-positive bacteria occurring in pairs or chains; cause e.g. scarlet fever and tonsillitis; SYN. streptococci, strep.
Harmful bacterium occurring in chains. Any one of a genus of round or oval Gram-positive bacteria that have a tendency to form pairs or chains. They are widely distributed in nature living mainly as parasites in the bodies of animals and humans. Some are harmless, but others are implicated in a number of infections, including scarlet fever.