Dictionary
er•got•ism
Pronunciation: (ûr'gu-tiz"um), [key]—
n. Pathol.
a condition caused by eating rye or some other grain that is infected with ergot fungus or by taking an overdose of a medicine containing ergot, characterized by cramps, spasms, and a form of gangrene.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.