vermifuge

[vur-muh-fyooj]

adjective

1. serving to expel worms or other animal parasites from the intestines, as a medicine.

noun

1. a vermifuge medicine or agent.

vermifuge

/ ˌvɜːmɪˈfjuːɡəl, ˈvɜːmɪˌfjuːdʒ /

noun

1. any drug or agent able to destroy or expel intestinal worms; an anthelmintic

Other Word Forms

• vermifugal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of vermifuge¹

First recorded in 1690–1700; vermi- + -fuge

Example Sentences

Purslane, which the Cherokee used as a vermifuge because its scarlet stalks looked vaguely wormlike, is also a powerful antioxidant.

From New York Times

If I can’t quite get the hang of poverty-chastity-and-obedience, I can learn instead about vermifuges, breech deliveries, arrow wounds, gangrene, and elephantiasis.

From Literature

Finally, the treatment of that over-rated bugbear in the way of diseases, "Worms," is easily summarised thus—Meat feeding; an iron tonic; a vermifuge after the tonic course, and not before.

From Project Gutenberg

Tape-worm.—Recently attention has been called to cocoanuts as a vermifuge.

From Project Gutenberg

In autumn all horses that have been grazing should be dosed with some vermifuge to destroy the worms that are invariably present, and thus prevent colic or an unthrifty or anaemic state.

From Project Gutenberg