Home › Words › C › coliformcoliformcoliform means of or pertaining to the bacteria that inhabit the intestines (especially the colon) of mammals.EtymologyFrom the genitive of Latin colon + -iform.adjOf or pertaining to the bacteria that inhabit the intestines (especially the colon) of mammals.nounSuch a bacterium.e.g.“By contrast, nonaerogenic coliforms in human feces were only 2.5 per cent of the total coliform strains examined” — 1969 May 20, Edwin E Geldreich, “Applying bacteriological parameters to recreational water quality”, in Journal‐American Water Works Association:Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).Words closest in meaningBy meaning, not spelling — each word's AI semantic fingerprint, nearest first.colibacillus 69% match — Any bacterium of the species Escherichia coli; a coli. vs coliform →coliphage 67% match — Any of several bacteriophages that can infect strains of the bacterium Escherichia coli vs coliform →coli 64% match — Escherichia coli, a Gram-negative bacterium commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms. vs coliform →colibacillary 63% match — Relating to colibacillus. vs coliform →colibacillosis 60% match — disease caused by the bacterium Escherichia coli vs coliform →coccobacterium 60% match — One of various round variety of bacteria. vs coliform →coprophil 59% match — a coprophilous microorganism vs coliform →bacterian 58% match — bacterial vs coliform →