nematode

[ nem-uh-tohd ]

noun

1. any unsegmented worm of the phylum Nematoda, having an elongated, cylindrical body; a roundworm.

adjective

1. pertaining to the Nematoda.

nematode

/ ˈnɛməˌtəʊd /

noun

1. any unsegmented worm of the phylum (or class) Nematoda, having a tough outer cuticle. The group includes free-living forms and disease-causing parasites, such as the hookworm and filaria Also callednematode wormroundworm

nematode

/ nĕm′ə-tōd′ /

1. Any of several slender, cylindrical worms of the group Nematoda, which some scientists consider to be a class of the aschelminths and others to be a separate phylum. Most nematodes are tiny and live in enormous numbers in water, soil, plants, and animals. They have a simple structure, with a long hollow gut separated from the body wall by a fluid-filled space. Several nematodes, such as pinworm, roundworm, filaria, and hookworm, are parasites on animals and humans and cause disease. One species, Caenorhabditis elegans (usually called C. elegans ), was one of the first animals to have its entire genome sequenced and is important in biological research as a model organism.

Word History and Origins

Origin of nematode¹

First recorded in 1860–65; nemat- + -ode ¹

Example Sentences

The new nematode fossils predate those Cambrian creatures by about 15 million years, says Hughes, a graduate student at Harvard University.

From Science Magazine

Paul De Ley, an associate professor of nematology at UCR, confirmed its fit as an early nematode and ruled out other worm types.

From Science Daily

"Having resistance to both species of the potato cyst nematodes that we see in Scotland and the UK, they'll be able to keep the numbers reduced in the soil," he said.

From BBC

Thus opioid receptors are not found in invertebrate animals like the nematode C. elegans, the honeybee or the squid.

From Salon

In a parasitic first, a Baltic amber specimen has revealed that millions of years ago tiny worms known as nematodes were living inside of and feeding on the outer protective layer of pseudoscorpions.

From Science Daily