Medical Dictionary

giardia

noun giar·dia \jē-ˈär-dē-ə, ˈjär-\

Medical Definition of GIARDIA

1
capitalized :  a genus of flagellate protozoans inhabiting the intestines of various mammals and including one (G. lamblia synonym G. intestinalis) that is associated with diarrhea in humans
2
:  any flagellate of the genus Giardia

Biographical Note for GIARDIA

Giard \zhē-är\ , Alfred Mathieu (1846–1908), French biologist. Giard was an all-around naturalist. He was a student of morphology, phylogeny, and ethology and a supporter of both Darwinism and Lamarckism. He investigated a wide range of topics in biology, including regeneration, sexuality, metamorphosis, experimental parthenogenesis, hybridization, autotomy, and mimicry. The genus Giardia was named in his honor in 1882 by Johann Kunstler.

Browse

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.
Test your vocab with our fun, fast game
Ailurophobia, and 9 other unusual fears