|prōpē|änə, -|ōnə+ noun
Etymology: New Latin, from International Scientific Vocabulary propion- + New Latin -i- + bacterium
1. capitalized : a genus (the type of the family Propionibacteriaceae) of gram-positive nonmotile usually anaerobic eubacteria that form propionic acid by fermenting lactic acid, carbohydrates, and polyalcohols and that include forms associated with the ripening of dairy products (as some hard cheeses)
2. plural propionibacteria : any bacterium of the genus Propionibacterium