nounplural noun clostridia/kläˈstridēə/

• An anaerobic bacterium of a large genus that includes many pathogenic species, e.g. those causing tetanus, gas gangrene, botulism, and other forms of food poisoning.

  Genus Clostridium: typically rod-shaped and Gram-positive

  ‘Bacteria of the genus clostridium kill more wild birds each year than any other germ, animal health officials said.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Individual inquests into some of the deaths also established the cause of death as a strain of anaerobic bacterium, know as clostridium.’
  • ‘Postoperatively, blood cultures were positive for gram-positive rods, and ultimately severe sepsis due to clostridium developed.’
  • ‘However, the disease has been linked many times to clostridium botulinum, a toxin that can cause a form of botulism in horses.’
  • ‘Another bug, clostridium difficile, was also found on the ward last week.’