Word
pathogen
US/ˈpæθədʒən/
UK/pˈæθədʒən/
Españolpatógeno
Countable noun
Definition
n. a tiny living thing that causes disease, such as a virus or bacteria.
n. a bacterium, virus, or other microorganism that can cause disease in its host.
Examples
“The new vaccine protects against several common pathogens.”
“Hospital staff follow strict cleaning protocols to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens between patients.”
“The evolution of antibiotic resistance allows certain pathogens to survive treatments that were previously effective, posing a significant challenge to modern public health systems.”
Examples
simple
“The new vaccine protects against several common pathogens.”
contextual
“Hospital staff follow strict cleaning protocols to prevent the spread of dangerous pathogens between patients.”
complex
“The evolution of antibiotic resistance allows certain pathogens to survive treatments that were previously effective, posing a significant challenge to modern public health systems.”
Usage
Commonly used in medical and scientific contexts to refer to any disease-causing agent.
Real-World Examples
“I am a public health water microbiologist who collects sewage water and tests it for evidence of harmful pathogens, such as cyclospora.” “There is growing evidence that these kinds of fungal pathogens can expand their host range to adapt to a scarcity of hosts or environmental stress.” “This allowed them to identify traces of several pathogens, including Yersinia pestis , the bacterium responsible for plague, and Borrelia recurrentis , which causes louse borne relapsing fever.” “Experiments showed that attaching a CD47 peptide to the carriers' outer surfaces protected them from being mistaken for pathogens and eaten by macrophages.” Etymology
From patho- + -gen. Second element ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁- (“lineage”) through Ancient Greek γένος (génos, “birth”)
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/pathogen
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0