aerobe

noun

aer·​obe ˈer-ˌōb How to pronounce aerobe (audio)
: an organism (such as a bacterium) that lives only in the presence of oxygen

Word History

Etymology

alteration (probably conformed to microbe) of French aérobie "living only in the presence of oxygen," from aéro- aero- + -bie (as in amphibie amphibious), borrowed from Greek -bios "having (such a) life," adjective derivative of bíos "life" — more at quick entry 1

First Known Use

1883, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aerobe was in 1883

Dictionary Entries Near aerobe

aerobatics

aerobe

aerobia

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Aerobe.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aerobe. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Medical Definition

aerobe

noun
aer·​obe ˈa(-ə)r-ˌōb, ˈe(-ə)r- How to pronounce aerobe (audio)
: an organism (as a bacterium) that lives only in the presence of oxygen

More from Merriam-Webster on aerobe

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about aerobe

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

Terroir, Oenophile, & Magnum: Ten Words About Wine

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Words for Lesser-Known Games and Sports

Your Favorite Band is in the Dictionary
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Is That Gratitude or Attitude? A Thanksgiving Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...