Diplococcus

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A diplococcus (plural diplococci) is a round bacterium (a coccus) that typically occurs in pairs of two joined cells. Examples are Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria gonorrhoeae and Neisseria meningitidis.

Its name comes from diplo, meaning double, and coccus, meaning berry. This is because berrys are round, like a diplococcus, and diplococci come in pairs of two.

In former times, a bacterial genus Diplococcus was recognized, but it is not used anymore.