clostridium

clos·trid·i·um  (kl-strd-m)

n. pl. clos·trid·i·a (--)

Any of various rod-shaped, spore-forming, chiefly anaerobic bacteria of the genus Clostridium, such as the nitrogen-fixing bacteria found in soil and those causing botulism and tetanus.

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[New Latin Clstridium, genus name, from Greek klstr, klstr-, spindle, from klthein, to spin.]

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clos·tridi·al (-l) adj.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

clostridium - spindle-shaped bacterial cell especially one swollen at the center by an endospore clostridia eubacteria, eubacterium, true bacteria - a large group of bacteria having rigid cell walls; motile types have flagella genus Clostridium - anaerobic or micro-aerophilic rod-shaped or spindle-shaped saprophytes; nearly cosmopolitan in soil, animal intestines, and dung