Library / English Dictionary

FLAGELLUM

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

Irregular inflected form: flagella   

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A lash-like appendage used for locomotion (e.g., in sperm cells and some bacteria and protozoa)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting animals

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

appendage; outgrowth; process (a natural prolongation or projection from a part of an organism either animal or plant)

Holonyms ("flagellum" is a part of...):

eubacteria; eubacterium; true bacteria (a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls; motile types have flagella)

sperm; sperm cell; spermatozoan; spermatozoon (the male reproductive cell; the male gamete)

Derivation:

flagellate (a usually nonphotosynthetic free-living protozoan with whiplike appendages; some are pathogens of humans and other animals)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A whip used to inflict punishment (often used for pedantic humor)

Synonyms:

flagellum; scourge

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

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

whip (an instrument with a handle and a flexible lash that is used for whipping)

Derivation:

flagellate (whip)

Credits

 Context examples: 

This species is motile using a single flagellum at each pole, non-spore forming, oxidase positive, catalase positive, reduces nitrate, produces hydrogen sulfide, and does not hydrolyze hippurate nor ferment glucose.

(Campylobacter lari, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is motile with a flagellum at each pole, non-spore forming, oxidase positive, and hydrolyzes hippurate.

(Campylobacter jejuni, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is motile using a singular polar flagellum, oxidase and catalase positive, indole negative, does not reduce nitrates and does not hydrolyze esculin.

(Brevundimonas diminuta, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is motile with a single polar flagellum, non-spore forming, oxidase positive, catalase negative, indole negative, urease negative, reduces both nitrate and nitrite, but does not hydrolyze starch, gelatin, esculin or casein.

(Campylobacter concisus, NCI Thesaurus)

This species is motile using 5 to 8 peritrichous flagella, oxidase, urease, and indole negative, does not reduce nitrate, and does not hydrolyze esculin or gelatin.

(Bordetella avium, NCI Thesaurus)

This bacteria is motile by polar flagella, oxidase positive and hemolytic.

(Aeromonas sobria, NCI Thesaurus)

This bacteria is motile by polar flagella, oxidase positive, produces Aerolysin Cytotoxic Enterotoxin, hydrolyzes esculin and is beta hemolytic.

(Aeromonas hydrophila, NCI Thesaurus)

This bacteria is oxidase positive, catalase variable, motile by one or more polar flagella, non spore forming and reduces nitrate.

(Arcobacter butzleri, NCI Thesaurus)

This bacteria is motile by flagella and mediates the horizontal gene transfer of its Ti plasmid to infect plants.

(Agrobacterium tumefaciens, NCI Thesaurus)

This bacteria exhibits darting motility by single polar flagella, does not hydrolyze esculin, is indole and urease negative and shows susceptibility to nalidixic acid.

(Arcobacter cryaerophilus, NCI Thesaurus)