bacteriophage

 
Pronunciation: /bakˈtɪərɪə(ʊ)feɪdʒ, -fɑːʒ/

noun

Biology
  • a virus which parasitizes a bacterium by infecting it and reproducing inside it. Bacteriophages are much used in genetic research.

Origin:

1920s: from bacterium + Greek phagein 'eat'