liver fluke

American  

[liv-er] / ˈlɪv ər /

noun

1. any of various trematodes, as Fasciola hepatica, parasitic in the liver and bile ducts of domestic animals and humans.

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liver fluke British  

noun

1. any of various parasitic flatworms, esp Fasciola hepatica, that inhabit the bile ducts of sheep, cattle, etc, and have a complex life cycle: class Digenea See also trematode

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Etymology

Origin of liver fluke

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

liver fluke

Cases of liver fluke, which is transmitted through mud snails, have been rising over the long term.

From BBC ● Feb. 24, 2025

A parasite called Heterobilharzia americana, a flatworm commonly referred to as liver fluke, was behind the illness of the 11 dogs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 14, 2024

Once the liver fluke infects the ant, several hundred parasites invade the ant's body.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2023

Or, indeed, worm: In high school biology, she and other students dissected a liver fluke, slicing the head in half with a razor until two new heads formed.

From New York Times ● Mar. 2, 2022

This bird is of great value, as it consumes large quantities of pond snails, the necessary host of the early stages of the liver fluke.

From An Australian Bird Book A Pocket Book for Field Use by John Albert Leach