filaria

noun, plural fi·lar·i·ae [fi-lair-ee-ee] /fɪˈlɛər iˌi/.

1. any small, threadlike roundworm of the family Filariidae and related families, carried as a larva by mosquitoes and parasitic when adult in the blood or tissues of vertebrates.

noun plural -iae (-ɪˌiː)

1. any parasitic nematode worm of the family Filariidae, living in the blood and tissues of vertebrates and transmitted by insects: the cause of filariasis

n. pl. fi•lar•i•ae (-ē-ē′)

1. Any of various threadlike nematode worms of the superfamily Filarioidea parasitic in vertebrates and often transmitted as larvae by biting insects. The adult form lives in the blood and lymphatic tissues, causing inflammation and obstruction that can lead to elephantiasis.

n.

1. A genus of nematodes no longer in taxonomic use and whose members are now classified in the family Onchocercidae.

Plural filariae (fə-lâr′ē-ē′)

1. Any of various slender, threadlike nematode worms of the superfamily Filarioidea that are parasitic in vertebrates and are often transmitted as larvae by mosquitoes and other biting insects. The adult form lives in the blood and lymphatic tissues and can cause inflammation and obstruction of lymphatic vessels.