Used mostly in medical or scientific discussions about infections and diseases.

Medical Context

Refers to the bacterium behind specific infections; important for diagnosis and treatment.

Specific Infections

Though technical, it's understood by the general public in the context of common illnesses.

Technical Health Term

 they would get muscled out by fast-growing streptococcus before they could even initiate cell division. So that's why we never find them in our throats. Perhaps the fact that the deep subsurface is so boring is actually an asset to these microbes. They never get washed out by a storm. They never get overgrown by weeds.

This deep-sea mystery is...

 Hemolytic streptococcus bacteria. Hmm, my fries are cold. Must be because my ice cream melted.

Streptococcus