gapeworm

American

[geyp-wurm, gap-] / ˈgeɪpˌwɜrm, ˈgæp- /

noun

a nematode worm, Syngamus trachea, that causes gapes. gape.

gapeworm British

/ ˈɡeɪpˌwɜːm /

noun

a parasitic nematode worm, Syngamus trachea, that lives in the trachea of birds and causes gapes in domestic fowl: family Syngamidae

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of gapeworm

First recorded in 1870–75; gape + worm

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He and other rehabbers are overloaded with waterfowl riddled with gapeworm, a parasite that lives and breeds in a bird’s trachea and causes it to gasp or shake its head.

From New York Times

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023