whipworm

[hwip-wurm, wip-]

noun

1. any of several parasitic nematodes of the genus Trichuris, having a long, slender, whiplike anterior end.

whipworm

/ ˈwɪpˌwɜːm /

noun

1. any of several parasitic nematode worms of the genus Trichuris, esp T. trichiura, having a whiplike body and living in the intestines of mammals

Word History and Origins

Origin of whipworm¹

First recorded in 1870–75; whip + worm

Example Sentences

The code name for the massive operation to catch Miller, in the summer and fall of 1984, was “Whipworm,” a reference to an intestinal parasite.

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Cambridge University researcher Tianyi Wang said roundworm was the most common infection, but whipworm infection was also found.

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Petrified roundworm and whipworm eggs suggest that Roman-era and late medieval Brits were most likely to be plagued with these pests.

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“I had three separate bouts of malaria, I had amoebic dysentery, whipworm … And at the end of my time, I got hepatitis from contaminated water. I was in a clinic for over a week and really in pretty bad shape. So I limped home.”

Read more on Washington Times

The Shuar she interviewed all lived in environments with many pathogens, such as roundworm, whipworm, and tuberculosis.

Read more on Science Magazine