horsehair worm

noun

1. any long, slender worm of the phylum Nematomorpha, developing parasitically on insects and crustaceans, and free-living as adults in streams and ponds.

horsehair worm

noun

1. another name for hairworm

Word History and Origins

Origin of horsehair worm¹

First recorded in 1745–55

Example Sentences

And the other is what is called a horsehair worm that overtakes the bodies of insects.

From The Daily Beast

Vinegar eels, the horsehair worm, the pork worm or trichina and the dread hookworm are examples.

From Project Gutenberg