Spindle-shaped bacterial cell esp. one swollen at the center by an endospore.
Synonyms:clostridia.
2.
(capitalized) A genus of anaerobic, spore-forming motile bacteria of the family Bacillaceae, including several pathogenic species, such as the causative agents of gas gangrene (Clostridium perfringens), botulism (Clostridium botulinum), and tetanus (Clostridium tetani).
