Definition, synonyms and related words
Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms.
"A contaminated water supply can introduce harmful strains of coli into the drinking system."
In plain English: Coli is short for E. coli, which are common bacteria that live in your intestines but can make you sick if they get into food or water.
"The doctor told him to take antibiotics for his bad case of coli after he ate spoiled food at the picnic."
Usage: Coli refers to the bacteria Escherichia coli; it's often mentioned in relation to food poisoning or contamination.
The name comes from the Latin word colī, which is the genitive form of colon meaning "large intestine." It originally referred to bacteria found in that part of the digestive system before being reclassified as Escherichia coli.