pathogen.

An agent, such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus, capable of causing disease.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• foodborne pathogen
• detect a pathogen

On the page

The sample contained a foodborne pathogen.

The laboratory tested for several pathogens.

The researcher studied how the pathogen entered its host.

Usage notes

Primary category: horror. Forms: Singular pathogen; plural pathogens. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.