liver fluke

American

[liv-er] / ˈlɪv ər /

noun

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

liver fluke British

noun

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

"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 liver fluke

First recorded in 1785–95

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.

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

The tiny liver fluke is widespread in Denmark, and other temperate regions worldwide.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 17, 2023

Dr. Peter J. Hotez, director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development, has vaccines against hookworm and schistosomiasis, a waterborne liver fluke, in clinical trials and is working on eight others.

From New York Times ● Nov. 20, 2018

The common liver fluke Fasciola hepatica 526 20.

From Special Report on Diseases of Cattle by United States. Bureau of Animal Industry

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