leishmania

[ leesh-man-ee-uh, -mey-nee-uh, lahysh- ]
/ liʃˈmæn i ə, -ˈmeɪ ni ə, laɪʃ- /

noun

any parasitic flagellate protozoan of the genus Leishmania, occurring in vertebrates in an oval or spherical, nonflagellate form, and in invertebrates in an elongated, flagellated form.

Origin of leishmania

< New Latin (1903), after William Boog Leishman (1865–1926), Scottish bacteriologist; see -ia

OTHER WORDS FROM leishmania

leish·man·i·al, leish·man·ic [leesh-man-ik, lahysh-] /liʃˈmæn ɪk, laɪʃ-/, leish·man·i·oid, adjective

Words nearby leishmania

leiomyosarcoma, leipoa, leipzig, leiria, leishman-donovan body, leishmania, leishmania aethiopica, leishmania braziliensis, leishmania donovani, leishmania mexicana, leishmania tropica

British Dictionary definitions for leishmania

leishmania
/ (liːʃˈmeɪnɪə) /

noun

any parasitic flagellate protozoan of the genus Leishmania : infects humans and animals and causes diseases ranging from skin lesions to potentially fatal organ damage

Word Origin for leishmania

C20: New Latin, named after Sir W.B. Leishman (1865–1926), Scottish bacteriologist

Medical definitions for leishmania

Leishmania
[ lēsh-măn′ē-ə, -mā′nē-ə ]

n.

A genus of flagellate protozoa, several species of which cause leishmanisis; all species are indistinguishable morphologically but may be separated by their serological reactions, by their geographic distribution, by their developmental patterns in their sandfly hosts, and by their clinical manifestations of leishmaniasis.