chytridiomycosis

noun

An infectious disease of amphibians caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (amphibian chytrid fungus) or (chiefly in salamanders and newts) by Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans.

Scrabble 32

Meanings

nounchytridiomycosis (usually uncountable, plural chytridiomycoses)

plural chytridiomycoses

  1. uncountableusuallyAn infectious disease of amphibians caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (amphibian chytrid fungus) or (chiefly in salamanders and newts) by Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans.

    In epidemic outbreaks and when it is present as an endemic, vulnerability to chytridiomycosis caused by B. dendrobatidis varies widely among species.

    2010, Ross A. Alford, “2: Declines and the Global Status of Amphibians”, in Donald W. Sparling, Greg Linder, Christine A. Bishop, Sherry Krest, editors, Ecotoxicology of Amphibians and Reptiles, 2nd edition, Taylor & Francis (CRC Press), page 28
    2 more examples

    2013, Evan A. Eskew, Brian D. Todd, Parallels in Amphibian and Bat Declines from Pathogenic Fungi, D. Peter Drotman (editor-in-chief), Emerging Infectious Diseases, Volume 19, Issues 1-3, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, page 379, Pathogenic fungi have substantial effects on global diversity, and 2 emerging pathogenic species—the chytridiomycete Batrachochrytium dendrobatidis, which causes chytridiomycosis in amphibians, and the ascomycete Geomyces destructans, which causes white-nose syndrome in hibernating bats—are implicated in the widespread decline of their vertebrate hosts.

    Chytridiomycosis is a fungal disease that was first discovered in Queensland, Australia in 1993, though it has probably been in Australia since the 1970s.

    2013, Teri Shors, Encounters in Virology, Jones & Bartlett Learning, page 45

Origin

  1. Ancient Greekχυτρίδιον“little pot”
  2. Englishchytridiomycosis

From chytridio- + mycosis, from Ancient Greek χυτρίδιον (khutrídion, “little pot”), and μύκης (múkēs, “mushroom”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish kytridiomykoosi
  • kytridiomykoosidisease of amphibians
French chytridiomycose
  • chytridiomycosedisease of amphibians
German Chytridiomykose
  • Chytridiomykosedisease of amphibians
Italian chitidriomicosi
  • chitidriomicosidisease of amphibians
Portuguese quitridiomicose
  • quitridiomicosedisease of amphibians
Turkish kitridiyomikoz
  • kitridiyomikozdisease of amphibians
Cite this entry
APA

chytridiomycosis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chytridiomycosis

MLA

“chytridiomycosis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chytridiomycosis. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chytridiomycosis,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chytridiomycosis.

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