clostridium

[ klo-strid-ee-uhm ]

/ klɒˈstrɪd i əm /

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noun, plural clos·trid·i·a

[klo-strid-ee-uh]. /klɒˈstrɪd i ə/. Bacteriology.

any of several rod-shaped, spore-forming, anaerobic bacteria of the genus Clostridium, found in soil and in the intestinal tract of humans and animals.

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Origin of clostridium

1880–85; <New Latin <Greek klōstr-, variant stem of klōstḗr spindle (klōs-, variant stem of klṓthein (see Clotho) + -tēr agent suffix) + New Latin -idium-idium

OTHER WORDS FROM clostridium

clos·trid·i·al, clos·trid·i·an, adjective

Words nearby clostridium

closing price, closing snap, closing time, closing volume, clostridial, clostridium, Clostridium bifermentans, Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium difficile, Clostridium histolyticum, Clostridium novyi

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use clostridium in a sentence

Botulism is caused by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum, a hardy anaerobe.
The Deadliest Botox Has Arrived|Kent Sepkowitz|October 18, 2013|DAILY BEAST
For the spores of Clostridium tetani, the culture should be three days old, but may be as old as a week.
The Fundamentals of Bacteriology|Charles Bradfield Morrey

British Dictionary definitions for clostridium

clostridium

/ (klɒˈstrɪdɪəm) /

noun plural -iums or -ia (-ɪə)

any anaerobic typically rod-shaped bacterium of the genus Clostridium, occurring mainly in soil, but also in the intestines of humans and animals: family Bacillaceae . The genus includes the species causing botulism and tetanus

Derived forms of clostridium

clostridial or clostridian, adjective

Word Origin for clostridium

C20: from New Latin, literally: small spindle, from Greek klōstēr spindle, from klōthein to spin; see -ium

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

Medical definitions for clostridium

Clostridium

[ klŏ-strĭd′ē-əm ]

A genus of rod-shaped, spore-forming, chiefly anaerobic bacteria including the nitrogen-fixing bacteria found in soil and those causing botulism and tetanus.