botulism

noun

bot·​u·​lism ˈbä-chə-ˌli-zəm 

: acute food poisoning that is caused by botulinum toxin produced in food by a bacterial clostridium (Clostridium botulinum) and is characterized by muscle weakness and paralysis, disturbances of vision, swallowing, and speech, and a high mortality rate

Examples of botulism in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

This, after the FDA is investigating the powdered infant formula for a possible link to an outbreak of infant botulism cases. —Sarah Scott, Parents, 15 June 2026

Nara Organics recalled its whole-milk baby formula after a California child and two others were sickened by potentially fatal infant botulism, federal officials said. —Kevinisha Walker, Los Angeles Times, 15 June 2026

Nara Organics issued the recall of all lots of Nara Organics Whole Milk Infant Formula after, according to the company recall notice, the FDA and CDC told the company about babies sick with infant botulism in California, Pennsylvania and Washington. —David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 15 June 2026

Nara Organics The recall comes only a few months after a different infant formula product by ByHeart was subjected to a nationwide recall due to links with botulism cases in infants. —Victoria Forster, Forbes.com, 14 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for botulism

• autism
• fascism
• racism
• sikhism
• sophism
• statism
• sufism
• thomism
• tourism
• tropism
• abolitionism
• aldosteronism

Kids Definition

botulism

noun

bot·​u·​lism ˈbäch-ə-ˌliz-əm 

: poisoning caused by eating food containing a toxin made by a spore-forming bacterium

Medical Definition

botulism

noun

bot·​u·​lism ˈbäch-ə-ˌliz-əm 

: acute food poisoning caused by botulinum toxin produced in food by a bacterium of the genus Clostridium (C. botulinum) and characterized by muscle weakness and paralysis, disturbances of vision, swallowing, and speech, and a high mortality rate see botulinum toxin, limberneck