hookworm

Any of various parasitic bloodsucking roundworms which cause disease, especially the species Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, having hooked mouthparts and entering their hosts by boring through the skin.

Noun

  1. Any of various parasitic bloodsucking roundworms which cause disease, especially the species Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, having hooked mouthparts and entering their hosts by boring through the skin.
    • A heavy infestation of more than 100 hookworms can suck up as much as 16 fluid ounces of blood a day. Since hookworm larvae can be transmitted through a mother's milk, infestations can kill infants. - 1996 October 6,...

    Hypernyms: roundworm worm parasite

  2. Infection with one of these parasites.
    • a case of hookworm

    Synonyms: miner's worm miner's anaemia miner's disease

    Hypernyms: helminthiasis helminthosis disease condition

Origin

From hook + worm.

Forms

hookworms

Related

ringworm

Derived

American hookworm hookwormy