PHAGE

bacteriophage, phage

(noun) a virus that is parasitic (reproduces itself) in bacteria; “phage uses the bacterium’s machinery and energy to produce more phage until the bacterium is destroyed and phage is released to invade surrounding bacteria”

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

phage (plural phages or phage)

(microbiology, virology) A virus that is parasitic on bacteria.

• "The plural word phages refers to different types of phage, whereas in common usage the word phage can be both singular and plural, referring in the plural sense to particles of the same type of phage." Maloy et al: Microbial Genetics, 2nd ed, 1984, , p. 81