n., pl., -coc·ci (-kŏk'sī, -kŏk'ī).
A spherical gram-positive parasitic bacterium of the genus Staphylococcus, usually occurring in grapelike clusters and causing boils, septicemia, and other infections.
staphylococcal staph'y·lo·coc'cal (-kŏk'əl) or staph'y·lo·coc'cic (-kŏk'sĭk, -kŏk'ĭk) adj.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
