<P> A coccus (plural cocci) is any bacterium that has a spherical, ovoid, or generally round shape . It is one of the three distinct bacterial shapes, the other two being bacillus (rod - shaped) and spiral - shaped cells . </P> <P> Cocci is an English loanword of a modern or neo-Latin noun, which in turn stems from the Greek masculine noun kokkos (κόκκος) meaning "berry". </P>

The term coccus describes a bacterial shape that is