Definition

A disease that causes inflammation and lumps in the mouth, neck, chest, and abdomen, affecting cattle, pigs, and sometimes humans, caused by certain microorganisms.

Example

The veterinarian diagnosed the cow with actinomycosis after observing the lumpy jaw.

Conversation

Have you heard about actinomycosis?

Yeah, I read it's a pretty serious infection in animals and sometimes humans.

Right? I was surprised to learn it can cause those lumpy tumors.

Definitely sounds concerning, especially for farmers dealing with livestock.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Actinomycosis is formed from "actino-" (from Greek "aktinos", meaning ray or beam) and "mycosis" (from Greek "mykosis", meaning fungal infection). The term describes a disease caused by ray-like bacteria, resembling fungi, that can infect tissues in the body.

Memory Tip

Imagine 'ray-like' ('actino-') bacteria causing a 'fungal infection' ('mycosis') — this helps you remember that actinomycosis is a disease related to these specific bacteria.

Visually Confused Words