heartworm
Americannoun
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a parasitic nematode, Dirofilaria immitis, transmitted by mosquito and invading the heart and pulmonary arteries of dogs, wolves, and foxes throughout its range in tropical, subtropical and, more recently, temperate regions around the world.
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the disease caused by infection with heartworm.
noun
Etymology
Origin of heartworm
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.
Three months and one heartworm treatment later, I carried Bob to the adoption event in Prospect Park.
From Slate • Sep. 4, 2025
He recommends that vets screen dogs for common vector-borne diseases in annual wellness exams, and that dog owners put their pets on year-round flea, tick and heartworm prevention medication.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 18, 2025
Beyond the itchiness, they spread serious diseases and can even transmit heartworm to cats and dogs.
From The Verge • Jun. 3, 2022
A recent Facebook post from the KC Pet Project in Kansas City, Mo., featured a blind elderly pit bull abandoned with heartworm and in poor physical condition.
From Washington Post • Nov. 26, 2021
He was emaciated, anemic, heartworm positive, blind in one eye, had a lung infection, and his back muscles were atrophied from lack of use.
From Washington Times • May 1, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
