hookworm

[ hook-wurm ]

noun

1. any of certain bloodsucking nematode worms, as Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, parasitic in the intestine of humans and other animals.
2. Also called hookworm disease. a disease caused by hookworms, which may enter the body by ingestion or through the skin of the feet or legs, causing abdominal pain, nausea, and, if untreated, severe anemia.

hookworm

/ ˈhʊkˌwɜːm /

noun

1. any parasitic blood-sucking nematode worm of the family Ancylostomatidae, esp Ancylostoma duodenale or Necator americanus, both of which cause disease. They have hooked mouthparts and enter their hosts by boring through the skin

hookworm

/ hk′wûrm′ /

1. Any of numerous small, parasitic nematode worms of the family Ancylostomatidae, having hooked mouthparts with which they fasten themselves to the intestinal walls of various animals, including humans.

Other Words From

• hook·worm·y adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of hookworm¹

First recorded in 1900–05; hook ¹ + worm

Example Sentences

Cockroaches carry a wide range of diseases and pathogens including bubonic plague, dysentery, hepatitis, hookworms, leprosy, salmonella and polio.

From Salon

Adult hookworms live in the gut, and their eggs are spread through feces.

From Scientific American

Drug-resistant hookworms are spreading among pet dogs, and researchers have traced their origins to greyhounds raised for racing.

From Scientific American

A 2017 study found that 73 percent of residents had been exposed to raw sewage in their homes and a third tested positive for hookworms, an intestinal parasite.

From New York Times

Residents are also dealing with the threats to their health due to sewage exposure, like hookworm, which one 2017 study found was present in one-third of residents in Lowndes County in Alabama's Black Belt.

From Salon