any of a group of parasitic bacteria that live in the tissues of ticks, mites, and other arthropods, and cause disease when transmitted to humans and other animals
Derived forms
rickettsial (rickˈettsial)
adjective
Word origin
C20: named after Howard T. Ricketts (1871–1910), US pathologist
rickettsia in American English
(rɪˈkɛtsiə)
US
nounWord forms: pluralrickˈettsiˌae (rɪˈkɛtsiˌi) or rickˈettsias
any of several families (esp. Rickettsiaceae) of Gram-negative bacteria that are the causative agents of certain diseases, as typhus or Rocky Mountain spotted fever: they are transmitted to animals and humans by the bite of certain lice, ticks, etc. in whose bodies they live as parasites
Derived forms
rickettsial (rickˈettsial)
adjective
Word origin
ModL, after H. T. Ricketts (1871-1910), U.S. pathologist + -ia