botulism

noun bot·u·lism \ ˈbä-chə-ˌli-zəm \

|Updated on: 30 May 2018

Definition of botulism

: 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

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Recent Examples of botulism from the Web

Every 10 weeks, Sundquist gets 32 bee sting–like injections of the nerve-numbing botulism toxin into her face and neck.

— emily underwood, Science | AAAS, "Will antibodies finally put an end to migraines?," 18 May 2018
North Korea claimed Warmbier fell into a coma that resulted from botulism and a sleeping pill.

— CBS News, "Parents of slain student Otto Warmbier sue North Korea over son's death," 27 Apr. 2018
Investigators also found castor beans, which naturally produce ricin, and a jar labeled as containing botulism.

— aimee green, OregonLive.com, "Man who flung ricin-laced meat at neighbor's dogs agrees to pay $80k," 23 Apr. 2018
Adding moist components to the oil increases the risk of botulism (this is especially true of garlic).

— becky krystal, charlotteobserver, "Fresh herbs will be here soon: Here’s how to make the best of them | Charlotte Observer," 17 Apr. 2018
San Diego saw a cluster of four wound botulism cases in 2017 and five in 2010.

— paul sisson, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Wound botulism hospitalizes three black tar heroin users," 10 Apr. 2018
For instance, bacteria that cause cholera, botulism, and dysentery all do so with the help of toxins encoded by prophage.

— beth mole, Ars Technica, "Never-before-seen viruses that can kill bacteria stream from women’s bladders," 1 Feb. 2018
Higher air temperatures could increase cases of foodborne botulism if foods are not properly prepared and stored in a way that prevents them from spoiling.

— tegan hanlon, Anchorage Daily News, "Alaska releases first detailed report on negative health impacts of climate change," 9 Jan. 2018
But untreated botulism poisoning shuts down the nervous system, including the regulation of breathing.

— deirdre shesgreen, Cincinnati.com, "How the body of Otto Warmbier changed U.S. foreign policy," 12 Dec. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'botulism.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of botulism

1896

in the meaning defined above

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BOTULISM Defined for English Language Learners

botulism

noun

Definition of botulism for English Language Learners

: a serious illness that is caused by eating food that has not been preserved correctly and that is filled with bacteria

Medical Dictionary

botulism

noun bot·u·lism \ ˈbäch-ə-ˌliz-əm \

medical Definition of botulism

: 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