botulinum
noun
bot·u·li·num
ˌbä-chə-ˈlī-nəm 
variants
or less commonly botulinus
: a spore-forming bacterium (Clostridium botulinum) that secretes botulinum toxin
Examples of botulinum in a Sentence
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Botulism is a life-threatening condition caused by toxins made by Clostridium botulinum bacteria that attack the nervous system and cause paralysis.
—
Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
The toxin produced by C. botulinum bacteria can also cause a range of symptoms including muscle weakness, blurry vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking, paralysis and trouble breathing, which can lead to death.
—Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Botulism is often caused by ingesting foods contaminated with botulinum toxin (or in the case of infants, by ingesting foods contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores), per the CDC.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 9 Feb. 2025
Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that produces botulinum toxin, the neurotoxin that causes botulism, says Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
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Amarachi Orie, CNN Money, 20 June 2025
The toxin produced by C. botulinum bacteria can also cause a range of symptoms including muscle weakness, blurry vision, drooping eyelids, difficulty speaking, paralysis and trouble breathing, which can lead to death.
—Neha Mukherjee, CNN, 11 Feb. 2025
Botulism is often caused by ingesting foods contaminated with botulinum toxin (or in the case of infants, by ingesting foods contaminated with Clostridium botulinum spores), per the CDC.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 9 Feb. 2025
Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium that produces botulinum toxin, the neurotoxin that causes botulism, says Dr. Daniel Kuritzkes, Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Brigham and Women's Hospital.
—Caroline C. Boyle, USA TODAY, 7 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for botulinum
Cite this Entry
“Botulinum.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/botulinum. Accessed 11 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
botulinum
noun
bot·u·li·num
ˌbäch-ə-ˈlī-nəm
variants
also botulinus
: a spore-forming bacterium of the genus Clostridium (C. botulinum) that produces botulinum toxin
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