Dictionary > Pili

Pili

Definition
noun
(1) (microbiology) Short, filamentous projections on a bacterial cell, used not for motility but for adhering to other bacterial cell (especially for mating) or to animal cells. (singular: pilus).
(2) (botany) Philippine tree Canarium ovatum whose seeds are edible; source of Pili nut.
(3) (botany) Grass species in Hawaii.
Supplement
Word origin: a combining form meaning “hair,”
Synonym:

  • fimbriae (microbiology)


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