n.
Pronunciation: ˌ krip-t ō -spo ̇ r- ' i-d ē - ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -rid · ia \ - ē - ə \
Etymology: New Latin, from crypt- + spora spore + -idium
Date: 1982
: any of a genus ( Cryptosporidium of the order Coccidia) of protozoans parasitic in the gut of vertebrates including humans and sometimes causing diarrhea