germ; bacterium; microscopic single-celled organisms that exist in a variety of environments, some of which cause disease while others are beneficial

Suffix used after verbs or adjectives to form nouns expressing a state, quality, or scope, similar to English "-ity", "-ness", or "-ism".

An infectious intestinal disease caused by bacteria or parasites, characterized by fever, abdominal pain, and frequent diarrhea with blood or mucus in the stool