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

An infant with botulism can also stop feeding well, have problems with swallowing and lose control of their head. —Jen Christensen, CNN Money, 16 Dec. 2025

ByHeart baby formula was voluntarily recalled in November after 13 infants in 10 states were reported to have suspected or confirmed cases of infant botulism. —Julia Gomez, USA Today, 16 Dec. 2025

Three days later, the company recalled all of its products nationwide after the agency informed it of two more infant botulism cases in babies who consumed formula not included in the first recall. —Max Rego, The Hill, 16 Dec. 2025

The bacterial illness, called infant botulism, occurs when babies ingest spores of the bacteria Clostridium botulinum, which can grow in their immature digestive systems and produce toxin. —Reuters, NBC news, 15 Dec. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for botulism

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

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