Dictionary.com

chlamydia

[ kluh-mid-ee-uh ]
/ kləˈmɪd i ə /
Save This Word!
See synonyms for chlamydia on Thesaurus.com
noun, plural chla·myd·i·ae [kluh-mid-ee-ee]. /kləˈmɪd iˌi/.
Microbiology. any coccoid rickettsia of the genus Chlamydia, parasitic in birds and mammals, including humans, and causing various infections, especially of the eyes, as trachoma, lungs, as psittacosis, and genitourinary tract, as urethritis or chlamydia.
Pathology.Also called lymphogranuloma venereum. a widespread, often asymptomatic sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, a major cause of nongonococcal urethritis in men and pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy in women.

COMPARE MEANINGS

Click for a side-by-side comparison of meanings. Use the word comparison feature to learn the differences between similar and commonly confused words.
QUIZ
WILL YOU SAIL OR STUMBLE ON THESE GRAMMAR QUESTIONS?
Smoothly step over to these common grammar mistakes that trip many people up. Good luck!
Question 1 of 7
Fill in the blank: I can’t figure out _____ gave me this gift.
who
whom
TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of chlamydia

1945; <New Latin <Greek chlamyd-, stem of chlamýschlamys + New Latin -ia-ia

Words nearby chlamydia

Ch. J., Chkalov, Chladni figure, chlamydate, chlamydeous, chlamydia, chlamydial, chlamydospore, chlamys, chloanthite, chloasma
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to chlamydia

acquired immune deficiency syndrome, gonorrhea, herpes, syphilis, venereal disease, the clap, chancroid, crab louse, crabs, genital herpes, genital warts, herpes simplex, scabies, social disease, tabes dorsalis

How to use chlamydia in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for chlamydia

chlamydia
/ (kləˈmɪdɪə) /
noun
any Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Chlamydia, which are obligate intracellular parasites and are responsible for such diseases as trachoma, psittacosis, and some sexually transmitted diseases

Word Origin for chlamydia

C20: New Latin, from Greek khlamus mantle + -ia
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for chlamydia

chlamydia
[ klə-mĭd′ē-ə ]
Plural chlamydiae (klə-mĭd′ē-ē′)
Any of various bacteria of the genus Chlamydia, several species of which cause common infections in humans and animals, including neonatal conjunctivitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, pharyngitis, and sexually transmitted infections of the pelvis and urethra.
The American Heritage® Science Dictionary Copyright © 2011. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK