trematode worm
- noun
- /ˈtrɛmɪˌtoʊd wɜrm/
- Specialized
- The liver trematode worm causes significant disease in cattle and sheep.
Examples
-
Many species of trematode worms infect fish and mammals.
-
A common freshwater snail can serve as an intermediate host for the trematode worm.
-
Scientists study the life cycle of the trematode worm to find ways to prevent infections.
-
A trematode worm can cause serious health issues in humans.
-
A common freshwater snail can serve as an intermediate host for the trematode worm.
-
Scientists study the life cycle of the trematode worm to find ways to prevent infections.
-
The liver trematode worm causes significant disease in cattle and sheep.
Synonyms
A soft worm with a flat body that lives inside other animals or on the sea floor
A small flat worm that lives inside animals and sometimes makes them sick
A small animal that lives inside another animal and takes its food, often causing sickness
A flatworm that lives as a parasite and uses suckers to attach to a host
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is compositional: 'trematode' names a specific kind of parasitic flatworm and 'worm' gives the general biological category, so the combined noun simply denotes a worm of that type. A B1 learner who already knows the meanings of both constituents can therefore infer the MWE's meaning without special idiomatic knowledge.
Etymology
Trematode worm names a flat worm with round, sucker-like mouths that attach to an animal or person and feed on them. Because these worms cling to a 'host' and live on it, the term refers to this kind of 'parasite'.