mycoplasma

noun

my·​co·​plas·​ma ˌmī-kō-ˈplaz-mə How to pronounce mycoplasma (audio)
plural mycoplasmas also mycoplasmata ˌmī-kō-ˈplaz-mə-tə How to pronounce mycoplasma (audio)
: any of a genus (Mycoplasma of the family Mycoplasmataceae) of pleomorphic gram-negative chiefly nonmotile bacteria that lack a cell wall and are mostly parasitic usually in mammals

called also pleuropneumonia-like organism

mycoplasmal
ˌmī-kō-ˈplaz-məl How to pronounce mycoplasma (audio)
adjective

Examples of mycoplasma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Antibodies that my body developed to fight the mycoplasma bacteria also destroyed my red blood cells, rendering me briefly anemic. — Jerome Groopman, New Yorker, 6 Apr. 2026 Bajrakitiyabha had a mycoplasma infection, the palace said, per the Associated Press. — Daniel S. Levine, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026 Talk to your doctor about getting a pneumonia vaccine (there is no vaccine for viral or mycoplasma pneumonia, but certain individuals should get vaccinated for pneumococcal pneumonia). — Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 17 Nov. 2025 The Indianapolis shelter identified cats with symptoms of mycoplasma, upper respiratory infections, calicivirus or panleukopenia. — Noe Padilla, IndyStar, 25 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for mycoplasma

Word History

Etymology

New Latin

First Known Use

1955, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of mycoplasma was in 1955

Phrases Containing mycoplasma

Rhymes for mycoplasma

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Browse Nearby Words

mycoplasm
mycoplasma
mycoplasma-like organism
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Cite this Entry

“Mycoplasma.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mycoplasma. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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Medical Definition

mycoplasma

noun
my·​co·​plas·​ma ˌmī-kō-ˈplaz-mə How to pronounce mycoplasma (audio)
1
capitalized : the type genus of the family Mycoplasmataceae containing minute pleomorphic gram-negative chiefly nonmotile bacteria that are mostly parasitic usually in mammals see pleuropneumonia sense 2
2
plural mycoplasmas also mycoplasmata -mət-ə How to pronounce mycoplasma (audio) : any bacterium of the genus Mycoplasma or of the family Mycoplasmataceae

called also pleuropneumonia-like organism, PPLO

mycoplasmal
-məl How to pronounce mycoplasma (audio)
adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on mycoplasma

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about mycoplasma

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