botulism

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UK/ˈbɒt.jʊl.ɪz.əm/US/ˈbɑ.t͡ʃəˌlɪz.əm/

noun

Poisoning caused by the toxin from Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic bacterium that grows in improperly prepared food.

OriginGerman Botulismus ← Latin botulus →
UncommonScrabble 12
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Meanings

nounbotulism (usually uncountable, plural botulisms)

plural botulisms

  1. uncountableusuallymedicinePoisoning caused by the toxin from Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic bacterium that grows in improperly prepared food.

Origin

  1. Latinbotulus“sausage”
  2. GermanBotulismus
  3. Englishbotulism

From German Botulismus, from Latin botulus (“sausage”), the first identified source of the disease, + -ism.

More words from German, Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian ботулизъм
  • ботулизъм (botulizăm)medical condition
Catalan botulisme
  • botulismemedical condition
Chinese Mandarin 香腸中毒 /香肠中毒, 波特淋菌中毒
  • 香腸中毒 /香肠中毒 (xiāngcháng zhòngdú)medical condition
  • 波特淋菌中毒 (bōtèlín jūn zhòngdú)medical condition
Czech botulismus
  • botulismusmedical condition
Danish botulisme, pølseforgiftning
  • botulismemedical condition
  • pølseforgiftningmedical condition
Finnish botulismi
  • botulismimedical condition
French botulisme
  • botulismemedical condition
German Botulismus
  • Botulismusmedical condition
Greek αλλαντίαση
  • αλλαντίαση (allantíasi)medical condition
Hungarian botulizmus
  • botulizmusmedical condition
Icelandic bótúlíneitrun
  • bótúlíneitrunmedical condition
Indonesian botulisme
  • botulismemedical condition
Irish ispíneachas, botalas
  • ispíneachasmedical condition
  • botalasmedical condition
Italian botulismo
  • botulismomedical condition
Japanese ボツリヌス中毒
  • ボツリヌス中毒 (botsurinusu chūdoku)medical condition
Malay botulisme
  • botulismemedical condition
Polish botulizm
  • botulizmmedical condition
Portuguese botulismo
  • botulismomedical condition
Romanian botulism
  • botulismmedical condition
Russian ботули́зм
  • ботули́зм (botulízm)medical condition
Slovak botulizmus, klobásový jed
  • botulizmusmedical condition
  • klobásový jedmedical condition
Spanish botulismo
  • botulismomedical condition
Swedish botulism
  • botulismmedical condition
Turkish botulizm
  • botulizmmedical condition
Ukrainian ботулі́зм
  • ботулі́зм (botulízm)medical condition
Welsh botwliaeth, botwledd
  • botwliaethmedical condition
  • botwleddmedical condition
Cite this entry
APA

botulism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/botulism

MLA

“botulism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/botulism. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “botulism,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/botulism.

Source: botulism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.