cryptosporidium

noun

cryp·​to·​spo·​rid·​i·​um ˌkrip-tō-spȯr-ˈi-dē-əm 

plural cryptosporidia ˌkrip-tō-spȯr-ˈi-dē-ə 

: any of a genus (Cryptosporidium of the order Coccidia) of protozoans parasitic in the gut of vertebrates including humans and sometimes causing diarrhea

Examples of cryptosporidium in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

People who drink raw milk can be exposed to pathogens including bird flu, brucella, tuberculosis, salmonella, campylobacter, cryptosporidium and E. coli, the health department release said. —Suzy Khimm, NBC news, 3 Feb. 2026

Some reported contracting bacterial infections, such as E. coli, salmonella or shigella; others had parasitic infections, such as cryptosporidium. —The Week Uk, TheWeek, 3 Feb. 2026

Public Health Wales said infections are spiking due to cryptosporidium’s incubation period. —Kimberlee Speakman, People.com, 10 May 2025

The cryptosporidium parasite causes a gastrointestinal illness marked by abdominal cramps, watery diarrhea, low-grade fever, vomiting and nausea. —Aaron Valdez, The Enquirer, 16 Aug. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from New Latin, genus name, from crypto- crypto- + sporidium "small spore," from spora spore entry 1 + -idium -idium

Note: Taxon introduced by the American physician and parasitologist Ernest E. Tyzzer (1875-1965) in "A sporozoan found in the peptic glands of the common mouse," Proceedings of the Society for Experimental Biology and Medicine, vol. 5 (1907-08), pp. 12-13.

First Known Use

1910, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for cryptosporidium

• clostridium
• cranidium
• cymbidium
• iridium
• peridium
• presidium
• pygidium
• rubidium
• idiom

Medical Definition

cryptosporidium

noun

cryp·​to·​spo·​rid·​i·​um ˌkrip-tō-spȯr-ˈid-ē-əm 

1

capitalized : a genus of protozoans (family Cryptosporidiidae) that are parasitic in the gut of many vertebrates including humans and that sometimes cause diarrhea especially in individuals who are immunocompromised (as in AIDS)

2

plural cryptosporidia -ē-ə  : any protozoan of the genus Cryptosporidium