tongue worm

American  

noun

1. any wormlike invertebrate of the phylum Pentastomida (or subphylum of Arthropoda), having two pairs of hooks at the sides of the mouth: all are parasitic, some in the respiratory tracts of mammals.

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tongue worm British  

noun

1. vet science a parasitic worm, Linguatula serrata , found in the nose of dogs, so called because of the shape of the worm

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tongue worm Scientific  

1. Any of various small, colorless, tongue-shaped, wormlike invertebrates of the group Pentastoma, which is considered by many zoologists to be a phylum intermediate in evolutionary development between the annelids and arthropods. Tongue worms are parasites that live embedded in the respiratory systems of vertebrates, especially reptiles and also humans, in tropical regions. They have simple nervous and digestive systems but lack circulatory and respiratory systems.

2. Also called pentastome

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Etymology

Origin of tongue worm

First recorded in 1635–45

Example Sentences

A newly described 425 million year old tongue worm makes its debut this week in an article in Current Biology by David Siveter, Derek Briggs, Derek Siveter, and Mark Sutton.

From Forbes

This newly discovered ancient parasite, called Invavita piratica, or “ancient pirate intruder”, was small, between 1-4 mm, and is preserved on a fossil of a tiny marine crustacean called an ostracod. While it is a relief this specific tongue worm has been extinct for hundreds of millions of years, the 140 species of modern tongue worms vary from 1 to 14 cm in length and primarily parasitize the respiratory system of vertebrates, including humans.

From Forbes

The modern tongue worm Linguatula serrata.

From Forbes