Streps

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used informally for bacteria of the Streptococcus genus ; plural for certain types of strep infections ; abbreviation for related bacterial illnesses or strains
2. An informal word signifying multiple Streptococcus organisms ; used to reference various streptococcal diseases ; shorthand for different strep-related infections or bacteria
3. Used as a slang or abbreviated form for Streptococcus bacteria ; denotes several cases of strep-based infections ; refers broadly to strains or conditions caused by "strep" bacteria

Etymology: "Streps" is the plural of "strep," a clipped form of "streptococcus," the name for a genus of spherical bacteria that grow in chains. The clipping shortens the scientific name to a casual term, so that a doctor's visit for a sore throat can be described in everyday speech as a case of strep. The plural, "streps," refers to the bacterial throat infections that such organisms cause, rather than to the bacteria themselves. The source name of the genus, "streptococcus," is built from Greek roots: "streptos," meaning twisted or bent, and "kokkos," meaning berry or grain. The name describes how the cells form twisted chains when viewed under a microscope. "Streptococcus" was coined as a scientific label in the late nineteenth century, when microbiologists began sorting bacteria by their shapes and arrangements. Its clipped form is a separate word that shares this origin, though the source also lists "streptocarpus," a plant genus, as another possible clipping. That link does not explain the medical sense, which comes from the bacterium.

Synonyms: streptococci, streptococcus bacteria