spiny-headed worm

American

[spahy-nee-hed-id] / ˈspaɪ niˌhɛd ɪd /

noun

any of a small group of endoparasites of the phylum Acanthocephala, as larvae parasitic in insects and crustaceans and as adults in various vertebrates.

spiny-headed worm Scientific

/ spī′nē-hĕd′ĭd /

See acanthocephalan

Etymology

Origin of spiny-headed worm

First recorded in 1945–50

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.

After burrowing into the walls of a fish's intestines, the spiny-headed worm Pomphorhynchus laevis inflates its proboscis to better embed itself in the soft tissue.

From Science Magazine

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