anaerobe /aner″ōb/ [Gk, a + aer, not air, bios, life] , a microorganism that grows and lives in the complete or almost complete absence of oxygen. Anaerobes are widely distributed in nature and in the body. Compare aerobe, microaerophile. Kinds include facultative anaerobe, obligate anaerobe. See also anaerobic infection. −anaerobic, adj.
