# salmonella

/ˌsæɫməˈnɛɫə/ (US) · /sˌælməʊnˈɛlɐ/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/salmonella
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Definition

a type of bacteria that can make you very sick if you eat food that is not clean or cooked well. It usually causes stomach pain, fever, and other digestive problems.

For teachers: a genus of rod-shaped, Gram-negative bacteria that causes various infections, most commonly food poisoning. It typically enters the human body through contaminated water or undercooked poultry and eggs.

## Examples

- Cooking chicken thoroughly kills any salmonella bacteria.
- The restaurant was closed temporarily after several customers fell ill with salmonella poisoning from the salad bar.
- Public health officials tracked the salmonella outbreak to a single processing plant where cross-contamination had occurred between raw and ready-to-eat products.

## Usage notes

- Usually treated as uncountable when referring to the bacteria or the illness; can be countable in scientific contexts referring to specific strains.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.