chlamydia

[ kluh-mid-ee-uh ]

noun

, plural chla·myd·i·ae [kl, uh, -, mid, -ee-ee].

1. Microbiology. any coccoid rickettsia of the genus Chlamydia, parasitic in birds and mammals, including humans, and causing various infections, especially of the eyes, as trachoma, lungs, as psittacosis, and genitourinary tract, as urethritis or chlamydia.
2. Pathology. Also called lym·pho·gran·u·lo·ma ve·ne·re·um [lim-f, uh, -gran-y, uh, -, loh, -m, uh, v, uh, -, neer, -ee-, uh, m]. a widespread, often asymptomatic sexually transmitted disease caused by Chlamydia trachomatis, a major cause of nongonococcal urethritis in men and pelvic inflammatory disease and ectopic pregnancy in women.

chlamydia

/ kləˈmɪdɪə /

noun

1. any Gram-negative bacteria of the genus Chlamydia , which are obligate intracellular parasites and are responsible for such diseases as trachoma, psittacosis, and some sexually transmitted diseases

chlamydia

/ klə-mĭd′ē-ə /

, Plural chlamydiae klə-mĭd′ē-ē′

1. Any of various bacteria of the genus Chlamydia, several species of which cause common infections in humans and animals, including neonatal conjunctivitis, pneumonia, bronchitis, pharyngitis, and sexually transmitted infections of the pelvis and urethra.

Word History and Origins

Origin of chlamydia¹

First recorded in 1945 in an article by Helen Jones, Geoffrey Rake, and Barbara Stearns as the proposed name of a taxon; 1966 in the current sense; from New Latin, from Greek chlamyd- (stem of chlamýs chlamys ) + New Latin -ia -ia

Word History and Origins

Origin of chlamydia¹

C20: New Latin, from Greek khlamus mantle + -ia

Example Sentences

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention finalized its endorsement of taking doxycycline after unprotected sex as a way to prevent chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis infections.

From Seattle Times

The surge has been driven largely by the spread of chlamydia, a devastating bacterial infection.

From New York Times

New cases of chlamydia and early syphilis — but not gonorrhea — dropped over the course of about a year.

From New York Times

Nearly three-quarters of councils have seen a rise in rates of syphilis cases, and chlamydia infections are up in more than a third of areas.

From BBC

The work, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, introduces a potential game-changer in the fight against intracellular pathogens responsible for causing devastating infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, malaria and chlamydia.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• acquired immune deficiency syndrome
• AIDS
• gonorrhea
• herpes
• syphilis
• the clap
• venereal disease