n.
Pronunciation: klä- ' stri-d ē - ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -ia \ -d ē - ə \
Etymology: New Latin, genus name, from Greek kl ō st ē r spindle, from kl ō thein to spin
Date: 1884
: any of a genus ( Clostridium ) of spore-forming mostly anaerobic soil or intestinal bacteria ― compare BOTULISM , TETANUS
– clos · trid · i · al \ -d ē - ə l \ adjective