noun ·Rare ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   Poisoning caused by the toxin from Clostridium botulinum, an anaerobic bacterium that grows in improperly prepared food. uncountable, usually
2. 2
   food poisoning from ingesting botulin; not infectious; affects the CNS; can be fatal if not treated promptly wordnet

Example

More examples

"Botulism, brucellosis, Lyme-disease and tetanus are infectious, but not contagious diseases."

Etymology

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

Related phrases

clostridium botulinum

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.