contagium

con·ta·gium

 (kən-tā′jəm)

n. pl. con·ta·gia (-jə)

The causative agent of a communicable disease; contagion.

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[Latin contāgium, contagion, contamination, from contāgiō; see contagion.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

contagium

(kənˈteɪdʒɪəm)

n, pl -gia (-dʒɪə)

(Pathology) pathol the specific virus or other direct cause of any infectious disease

[C17: from Latin, variant of contāgiō contagion]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

con•ta•gium

(kənˈteɪ dʒəm, -dʒi əm)

n., pl. -gia (-dʒə, -dʒi ə)

the causative agent of a contagious or infectious disease, as a virus.

[1645–55; < Latin, =contāg- (see contagion) + -ium -ium1]

Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.