foulbrood

noun

foul·​brood ˈfau̇(-ə)l-ˌbrüd How to pronounce foulbrood (audio)
: a destructive disease of honeybee larvae caused by bacteria (such as Bacillus larvae)

Examples of foulbrood in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
American foulbrood is a costly problem for beekeepers. Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 14 Aug. 2025 The new bee vaccine, Paenibacillus Larvae Bacterin, aims to protect honeybees from American foulbrood. Jennie L. Durant, The Conversation, 20 Jan. 2023 American foulbrood disease is one of the worst diagnoses a beekeeper’s brood can get. Byscience News Staff, science.org, 12 Jan. 2023 Biotech company Dalan Animal Health, based in Athens, Georgia, gained approval for its prophylactic vaccine to protect honeybees from American foulbrood disease – an aggressive bacterium that can spread quickly from hive to hive, the company announced Jan. 4. Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 10 Jan. 2023 The United States Department of Agriculture has approved the first-ever vaccine for honeybees to prevent American foulbrood disease, a fatal bacterial disease that can destroy honeybee colonies, officials say. Zoe Sottile, CNN, 7 Jan. 2023 While American foulbrood is not as destructive as varroa mites, the bacterium can easily wipe out colonies of 60,000 bees. Remy Tumin, BostonGlobe.com, 7 Jan. 2023 There is no cure for foulbrood, which is caused by the larvae of the bacterium Paenibacillus. Catherine Garcia, The Week, 5 Jan. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of foulbrood was in 1853

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Cite this Entry

“Foulbrood.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/foulbrood. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

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