pathogen
noun
path·o·gen
| \ ˈpa-thə-jən
\
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Definition of pathogen
: a specific causative agent (such as a bacterium or virus) of disease
Examples of pathogen in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
If a person with measles walks into a room, the pathogens can linger there for two hours after the person has gone. — Nick Paumgarten, The New Yorker, "The Message of Measles," 26 Aug. 2019 This process causes your body to produce white blood cells called T-lymphocytes, which will stick around in your body and remember the pathogen as well as how to respond to it. — Carolyn L. Todd, SELF, "What Parents Need to Know About the Immunization Schedule for Kids," 26 Aug. 2019 Viruses are an ever-evolving threat to global food security, Whitfield says, and the new technique might help farmers keep up with the constantly changing pathogens. — Eva Frederick, Science | AAAS, "New ‘medicine’ could vaccinate plants against devastating viruses," 26 Aug. 2019 But until now, Latin America had avoided the pathogen altogether. — Matt Reynolds, WIRED, "A Fungus Could Wipe Out the Banana Forever," 19 Aug. 2019 Citrus greening has led to a 70 percent drop in citrus production across Florida since the pathogen first arrived from Asia in 2005. — Andrew Jacobs, New York Times, "Spraying Antibiotics to Fight Citrus Scourge Doesn’t Help, Study Finds," 16 Aug. 2019 Identifying the pathogen that is causing an infection is crucial to treating it properly. — Scientific American, "The U.S. Opioid Epidemic Is Driving a Spike in Infectious Diseases," 9 Aug. 2019 The pathogen was eventually identified as Phytophthora ramorum, a water mold that requires extended cool, moist conditions to best spread. — Paul Cappiello, The Courier-Journal, "Sudden oak death is the latest nemesis of Illinois and Indiana trees. Is Kentucky next?," 12 July 2019 The pathogen even seems to have made the voyage across the Pacific as a stowaway inside captive Canadian reindeer destined for a Santa's Village in South Korea. — al.com, "A deadly deer disease is spreading and could infect humans," 14 June 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pathogen.' 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 pathogen
pathogen
noun
English Language Learners Definition of pathogen
medical
: something (such as a type of bacteria or a virus) that causes disease
See the full definition for pathogen in the English Language Learners Dictionary
pathogen
noun
patho·gen
| \ ˈpath-ə-jən
\
\
Medical Definition of pathogen
: a specific causative agent (as a bacterium or virus) of disease