penicillium
/ˌpɛnɪˈsɪlɪəm
/noun (plural penicillia)
A blue mould that is common on food, being added to some cheeses and used sometimes to produce penicillin.This is because the cheese maker has to let the air inside the cheese for the penicillium (the blue cheese mold) to develop....
- Since 1941, when the first bacterial infection was cured with a concoction derived from the fungus penicillium, we've depended on antibiotics to be there when we're sick.
- Identifying penicillia is relatively easy for a trained microbiologist; certifying that the substance ‘dissolving’ bacteria on petri dishes is true penicillin is quite a different matter.
Origin
Mid 19th century: modern Latin, from Latin penicillus 'paintbrush' (because of the brush-like fruiting bodies).