|mīˌkrō+ noun plural
Usage: capitalized
Etymology: New Latin, from Micrococcus, type genus + -aceae
: a family of heterotrophic spherical or elliptical eubacteria that usually lack endospores, divide in two or three planes forming pairs, tetrads, or masses of cells, prefer an aerobic environment, and produce yellow, orange, or red pigment and that include pathogenic toxin-producing forms (as Staphylococcus aureus syn. Micrococcus pyogenes var. aureus ) as well as numerous harmless commensals and saprophytes