plural phages also phage
: a virus that infects bacteria : bacteriophage
They cloned the antibody genes and inserted them into phage, a virus that infects bacteria cells.—
Teresa L. White
Teresa L. WhiteBacteriophages, also known simply as phages, came to light around 90 years ago, when two European scientists independently discovered that there are viruses that kill bacteria.—John Travis
John Travis
: virus or cell that destroys cells
bacteriophage
microphage
Examples of phage in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Sep. 2024
Each tiny, tripod-looking phage has evolved to hunt, attack and gobble up a specific bacterial species.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
By infecting and replicating inside a host bacterium, phages could kill pathogens and form the basis of new drugs to treat antibiotic-resistant or superbugs.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
What the findings do reveal, however, is that there is a world of phages ripe for exploration.
—Alice Park, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phage 
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.
Noun
Finding the right phage for treatment can take time, and then batches of phages need to be grown and purified.
—Emily Mullin, WIRED, 10 Sep. 2024
Each tiny, tripod-looking phage has evolved to hunt, attack and gobble up a specific bacterial species.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
By infecting and replicating inside a host bacterium, phages could kill pathogens and form the basis of new drugs to treat antibiotic-resistant or superbugs.
—Issy Ronald, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
What the findings do reveal, however, is that there is a world of phages ripe for exploration.
—Alice Park, TIME, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for phage
Dictionary Entries Near phage
Cite this Entry
“Phage.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/phage. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
phage
noun
ˈfāj 
also ˈfäzh
Medical Definition
plural phages also phage
: a virus that infects bacteria : bacteriophage
To infect a host bacterium, a phage will first interact with receptors on the host cell, adsorb and then inject its genome.—George P. C. Salmond and Peter C. Fineran, Nature Reviews Microbiology
George P. C. Salmond and Peter C. Fineran, Nature Reviews MicrobiologyPhages have various possible life cycles which, along with interaction with their physical environment, dictate their role in bacterial/archaeal biology.—Martha R. J. Clokie et al., Bacteriophage
Martha R. J. Clokie et al., BacteriophageLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share