STAPH

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does staph mean? 

• STAPH (noun)
  The noun STAPH has 1 sense:

1. spherical Gram-positive parasitic bacteria that tend to form irregular colonies; some cause boils or septicemia or infections

  Familiarity information: STAPH used as a noun is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• STAPH (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Spherical Gram-positive parasitic bacteria that tend to form irregular colonies; some cause boils or septicemia or infections

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

Synonyms:

staph; staphylococci; staphylococcus

Hypernyms ("staph" is a kind of...):

cocci; coccus (any spherical or nearly spherical bacteria)

Holonyms ("staph" is a member of...):

genus Staphylococcus (includes many pathogenic species)

 Context examples 

It is usually caused by staphylococcal (staph) bacteria, but it can also be caused by streptococcal (strep) bacteria.

(Impetigo, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)

It causes a staph infection (pronounced "staff infection") that is resistant to several common antibiotics.

(MRSA, NIH: National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases)