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# bacteria

noun (plural; one is a bacterium)

«bacteria» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. Bacteria are tiny living things, each made of just one cell, too small to see without a microscope. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#m1)
2. Some bacteria are harmful and cause illness (germs), but many are helpful, for example in your gut, in soil and in making yoghurt and cheese. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#m2)

### In the lessons

In science bacteria are one of the simplest kinds of life; they live almost everywhere: in water, soil, air and inside our bodies. In health lessons we wash hands, cook food properly and keep food cold to stop harmful bacteria growing. Antibiotics are medicines that kill bacteria (but not viruses). Phrases: harmful bacteria, good bacteria, kill bacteria, bacteria grow.

### Examples

- Bacteria are so small that you need a microscope to see them. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x1)
- Wash your hands with soap to get rid of harmful bacteria. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x2)
- Some bacteria help us digest our food. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x3)
- Keep milk in the fridge so bacteria grow more slowly. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x4)
- Yoghurt is made with the help of bacteria. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x5)
- Brushing your teeth removes bacteria that cause holes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x6)
- Bacteria can live in very hot springs and in ice. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x7)
- Cook chicken all the way through to kill the bacteria. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/#x8)

### Note

«Bacteria» is plural: «bacteria are», one is «a bacterium». Bacteria and viruses are different: colds and flu are caused by viruses, and antibiotics do not help against them. Not all bacteria are bad; most are harmless or helpful.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «bacteria» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/B/bacteria/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«bacteria» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/bacteria.html) on Mova free.