spirochete
- n parasitic or free-living bacteria; many pathogenic to humans and other animals
- Laments McKelway: "Gossip-writing is at present like a spirochete in the body of journalism.
- Villain of the tale: Corky, a dark-visaged spirochete 13000th of an inch tall, with a corkscrew body, a nose like a golf tee and spindly legs somewhat less hairy than those of .
- To kill the trench mouth spirochete, doctors usually swab their patients' swollen gums with hydrogen peroxide, silver salts or arsphenamine, prescribe mouthwashes of sodium .