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Glite Dictionary
Trichinella spiralis

Trichinella spiralis

9.8
A parasitic roundworm that lives in the intestines and muscles of animals and humans
  • noun
  • /ˌtrɪkɪˈnɛlə spɪˈrælɪs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Trichinella spiralis
  • The infection of Trichinella spiralis in pork is a major concern for food safety.

Examples

  • Don't forget to cook pork thoroughly to kill Trichinella spiralis!

  • Scientists are developing new tests to quickly detect Trichinella spiralis in meat products.

  • After eating undercooked wild game, he was diagnosed with Trichinella spiralis infestation.

  • The Trichinella spiralis parasite can cause serious health issues.

  • After eating undercooked wild game, he was diagnosed with Trichinella spiralis infestation.

  • Scientists are developing new tests to quickly detect Trichinella spiralis in meat products.

  • The Trichinella spiralis parasite can cause serious health issues.

Synonyms

trichina
vsTrichinella spiralis
  • Specialized
9.9

A small worm that lives in animals and makes baby worms that stay in the muscles

is the single species that infects mammals and causes muscle disease trichinosis

Surface Forms

Trichinella spiralis singular
Trichinella spiralis plural

Morphology

Trichinella + spiralis

The term is a Latin binomial: knowing 'Trichinella' (a genus of worms) and the pattern genus+species allows a learner to infer this is a specific kind of Trichinella worm. However, the precise clinical sense (that it infects muscles and causes trichinosis) and the species epithet 'spiralis' do not transparently convey those medical details to a B1 learner, so the meaning is only partly derivable from the parts.

Etymology

Trichinella spiralis gets its name from Greek and Latin words. The part Trichinella comes from 'trich-' meaning 'hair' because the worm is very thin like a hair, and spiralis means 'spiral' because the tiny worms curl into a spiral, so the name paints a picture of a thin, coiled worm.