clostridium botulinum

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Clostridium botulinum
    n 1: anaerobic bacterium producing botulin the toxin that causes
         botulism [syn: {botulinus}, {botulinum}, {Clostridium
         botulinum}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

clostridium \clostridium\ n. {clostridia}
   1. spindle-shaped bacterial cell esp. one swollen at the
      center by an endospore.

   Syn: clostridia.
        [WordNet 1.5]

   2. [capitalized] a genus of anaerobic, spore-forming motile
      bacteria of the family {Bacillaceae}, including several
      pathogenic species, such as the causative agents of gas
      gangrene ({Clostridium perfringens}), botulism
      ({Clostridium botulinum}), and tetanus ({Clostridium
      tetani}).
      [PJC]