botulinum
noun
bot·u·li·num
| \ ˌbä-chə-ˈlī-nəm
\
\
variants:
or less commonly botulinus \ ˌbä-chə-ˈlī-nəs
\
\
Definition of botulinum
: a spore-forming bacterium (Clostridium botulinum) that secretes botulinum toxin
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Other Words from botulinum
botulinal
\ ˌbä-chə-ˈlī-nᵊl
\
adjective
\
adjective
Examples of botulinum in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pound for pound — or nanogram for nanogram, as is the case — the neurotoxin botulinum, produced by bacteria, is the deadliest substance known. — Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Poison," 25 Sep. 2018 The toxin that leads to botulism is produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum or sometimes strains of Clostridium butyricum and Clostridium baratii, as SELF reported previously. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Del Monte Recalls Canned Corn Over Concerns It Could Cause ‘Life-Threatening Illness'," 14 Dec. 2018 The Novichok nerve agents’ estimated LD50 may be as low as 4,000 ng/kg — deadlier than tetradotoxin, but nowhere close to botulinum’s lethality. — Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Poison," 25 Sep. 2018 As dangerous as botulinum is, precise medical applications in tiny doses — best known as Botox — can treat several conditions, including incontinence, strabismus (crossed eyes) and, of course, wrinkles. — Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, "20 Things You Didn't Know About ... Poison," 25 Sep. 2018 The potentially fatal form of food poisoning results from the growth of Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum), the United States Center for Disease Control states. — Lindsey Murray, Good Housekeeping, "Taco Bell has just issued a warning for its popular salsa con queso.," 25 July 2018 On a recent steamy day in Atlanta, Dupree relaxed onto a table in the Emory Brain Center for a botulinum injection. — Sandee Lamotte, CNN, "The radio man without a voice," 15 June 2018 All three have required intensive care treatment with an anti-toxin that counteracts the effects of a neurotoxin produced by clostridium botulinum, the bacteria that causes wound botulism. — Paul Sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Wound botulism hospitalizes three black tar heroin users," 10 Apr. 2018 And about that botulism...? Some skeptics fear getting botulism from sous vide foods because the bacteria that causes the disease, C. botulinum, grows in low oxygen conditions. — Elaheh Nozari, Bon Appetit, "Is It Safe to Cook With Plastic Bags? And Other Sous Vide Questions, Explained," 14 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'botulinum.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for botulinum
botulinum
noun
bot·u·li·num
| \ ˌbäch-ə-ˈlī-nəm
\
\
variants:
also botulinus \ -nəs
\
\
Medical Definition of botulinum
: a spore-forming bacterium of the genus Clostridium (C. botulinum) that produces botulinum toxin
Other Words from botulinum
botulinal
\ -ˈlīn-ᵊl
\
adjective
\
adjective