Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
pentastomid or pen·ta·stome [pen-tuh-stoh-mid, pen-tas-tuh-mid or pen-tuh-stohm] Word Origin noun Zoology.
Origin of pentastomid 1905–10; New Latin Pentastomida name of the class of tongue worms, equivalent to Pentastom(um) a genus name (penta- penta- + -stomum Greek -stomon, neuter of -stomos -stomous) + -ida -ida tongue worm noun
- any wormlike invertebrate of the phylum Pentastomida (or subphylum of Arthropoda), having two pairs of hooks at the sides of the mouth: all are parasitic, some in the respiratory tracts of mammals.
Origin of tongue worm First recorded in 1635–45 Also called pentastome, pentastomid. British Dictionary definitions for pentastome tongue worm noun
- vet science a parasitic worm, Linguatula serrata, found in the nose of dogs, so called because of the shape of the worm
pentastome in Science pentastome [pĕn′tə-stōm′]
- See tongue worm.
tongue worm
- Any of various small, colorless, tongue-shaped, wormlike invertebrates of the group Pentastoma, which is considered by many zoologists to be a phylum intermediate in evolutionary development between the annelids and arthropods. Tongue worms are parasites that live embedded in the respiratory systems of vertebrates, especially reptiles and also humans, in tropical regions. They have simple nervous and digestive systems but lack circulatory and respiratory systems. Also called pentastome