scolex

[skoh-leks]

noun

Zoology.

plural

scoleces, scolices 

1. the anterior, headlike segment of a tapeworm, having suckers, hooks, or the like, for attachment.

scolex

/ ˈskəʊlɛks /

noun

1. the headlike part of a tapeworm, bearing hooks and suckers by which the animal is attached to the tissues of its host

Word History and Origins

Origin of scolex¹

First recorded in 1850–55, scolex is from the Greek word skṓlēx worm

Word History and Origins

Origin of scolex¹

C19: from New Latin, from Greek skōlēx worm

Example Sentences

A worm latches on to the inside of the intestine with its scolex, which is not a mouth but a gripping tool, and absorbs nutrients through the segments of its body.

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A closer look revealed it was a “little, itty bitty worm,” or a scolex — the end of a tapeworm with suckers that attach itself to the body, Bruneau said.

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Scolē′coid, like a scolex; Scolēcoph′agous, worm-eating, as a bird.—n.

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Each contains a scolex or tape-worm.

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When meat, improperly cooked and containing "measles," is eaten, the cyst is dissolved in the human stomach and the free scolex or head attaches itself to the intestinal mucous membrane and grows into a tapeworm.

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