Definition

Noun A parasitic fungus that can infect the mouth, skin, intestines, or vagina. It is a yeast-like organism that is normally present in small amounts in the human body but can cause infection (candidiasis) when it overgrows.

Usage

Candida albicans is used as a singular noun to refer to the specific fungal species. It is a scientific/medical term. - The test confirmed the presence of Candida albicans. - An overgrowth of Candida albicans can lead to symptoms.

Examples

• Medical Diagnosis: "The culture identified the pathogen as ."
• General Information: " is the most common cause of yeast infections."

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used in microbiology and clinical contexts. It is typically italicized in scientific writing as it is a genus and species name.
• It can be referred to more generally as "Candida" in non-technical language, though this can refer to other species within the genus.

Variants and Related Words

• Candida (n): The genus name; often used informally to refer to or related species.
• Candidiasis (n): The medical term for an infection caused by fungi.
• Yeast infection (n): A common term for candidiasis, especially vaginal.

Synonyms

• Thrush agent (when referring to oral candidiasis).
• Monilia (an older, less specific synonym).

Notes

Candida albicans is not typically used in idioms or phrasal verbs due to its specific scientific nature.

Noun

1. a parasitic fungus that can infect the mouth or the skin or the intestines or the vagina