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botulinus

American  
[boch-uh-lahy-nuhs] / ˌbɒtʃ əˈlaɪ nəs /
Also botulinum

noun

plural

botulinuses
  1. a soil bacterium, Clostridium botulinum, that thrives and forms botulin under anaerobic conditions.


botulinus British  
/ ˌbɒtjʊˈlaɪnəs /

noun

  1. an anaerobic bacterium, Clostridium botulinum , whose toxins (botulins) cause botulism: family Bacillaceae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • botulinal adjective

Etymology

Origin of botulinus

1895–1900; < New Latin: the former specific name, equivalent to Latin botul ( us ) a sausage ( see botulism) + -inus -ine 2

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The poison which causes botulism is produced by the Bacillus botulinus, which flourishes only where there is no air, as inside a sealed jar or can.

From Time Magazine Archive

Apparent reason: Oculinum is made from botulinus toxin, the deadly bacterial poison that causes botulism.

From Time Magazine Archive

Bacillus botulinus produces a toxin that is extremely virulent.

From The Film Mystery by Reeve, Arthur B. (Arthur Benjamin)

Bacteriology.—The cause of botulism poisoning was discovered by Van Ermengem to be the toxin produced by a bacillus which he named B. botulinus.

From Food Poisoning by Jordan, Edwin Oakes

So you see, there is nothing at all alarming about that frightful sounding word "botulinus."

From Every Step in Canning by Gray, Grace Viall