pathogen

American  

[path-uh-juhn, ‑-jen] / ˈpæθ ə dʒən, ‑ˌdʒɛn /

noun

1. any disease-producing agent, especially a virus, bacterium, or other microorganism.

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pathogen British  

/ ˈpæθəˌdʒiːn, ˈpæθəˌdʒɛn /

noun

1. any agent that can cause disease

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pathogen Scientific  

/ păth′ə-jən /

1. An agent that causes infection or disease, especially a microorganism, such as a bacterium or protozoan, or a virus.

2. See Note at germ

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pathogen Cultural  

1. A disease-causing agent. Microorganisms, viruses, and toxins are examples of pathogens.

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Other Word Forms

• antipathogen noun

Etymology

Origin of pathogen

First recorded in 1940–45; patho- + -gen

Example Sentences

While cysts are microscopic, they are relatively large compared to other intracellular pathogens, reaching up to 80 microns across.

From Science Daily

That idea has long been used to describe evolutionary standoffs between species, such as hosts and the parasites or pathogens that attack them.

From Science Daily

No complete genome of the pathogen responsible for pinta has yet been recovered, which leaves questions about its evolutionary relationships and classification.

From Science Daily

Environmental and public health researchers are drawing attention to a little-known group of pathogens that may pose a rising global danger: free living amoebae.

From Science Daily

It is human nature to project our phobias, prejudices and obsessions onto what is simply a biological contest between our immune system and the amoral pathogens trying to replicate themselves within us.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ailment
• disease
• germ
• illness
• infection
• microbe
• microorganism
• sickness