liver fluke

American  

[liv-er] / ˈlɪv ər /

noun

1. any of various trematodes, as Fasciola hepatica, parasitic in the liver and bile ducts of domestic animals and humans.

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liver fluke British  

noun

1. any of various parasitic flatworms, esp Fasciola hepatica, that inhabit the bile ducts of sheep, cattle, etc, and have a complex life cycle: class Digenea See also trematode

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Etymology

Origin of liver fluke

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

Cases of liver fluke, which is transmitted through mud snails, have been rising over the long term.

From BBC • Feb. 24, 2025

A parasite called Heterobilharzia americana, a flatworm commonly referred to as liver fluke, was behind the illness of the 11 dogs.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2024

That's the reality for ants infected with the lancet liver fluke, a tiny parasitic flatworm.

From Science Daily • Sep. 17, 2023

Or, indeed, worm: In high school biology, she and other students dissected a liver fluke, slicing the head in half with a razor until two new heads formed.

From New York Times • Mar. 2, 2022

D. hepaticum, the common liver fluke, when adult inhabits the gall-bladder or ducts of the liver in sheep, and is the cause of the disease known as the rot.

From The New Gresham Encyclopedia Volume 4, Part 1: Deposition to Eberswalde by Various