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病原体 (びょうげんたい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

病びょう原げん体たい

びょ

う

げ

ん

た

い

Meanings

1

A biological agent that causes disease; used in medical, biological, and public health contexts.

この病びょう原げん体たいは感かん染せん力りょくが非ひ常じょうに強つよい

。

This pathogen is highly infectious.

研けん究きゅう者しゃたちは新あたらしい病びょう原げん体たいを特とく定ていした。

The researchers identified a new pathogen.

Kanji

病ill, sick
原meadow, original, primitive
体body, substance, object

Related words

病びょう原げん
病原体 specifically names the causative organism (bacteria, virus, etc.), whereas 病原 can refer more abstractly to any cause of illness.
微び生せい物ぶつ
病原体 means specifically a disease-causing agent, while 微生物 is neutral and includes many harmless or beneficial organisms as well.

Word family

微び粒りゅう子し病びょう原げん体たい
Nosema bombycis (microsporidian parasite causing pebrine)
濾ろ過か性せい病びょう原げん体たい
virus

Built from

病びょう原げん+体たい

Etymology

Compound of 病原 (byōgen, 'cause of disease') + 体 (tai, 'body, entity'). The term is a modern medical coinage.