noun, plural sco·le·ces [skoh-lee-seez] /skoʊˈli siz/, scol·i·ces [skol–uh-seez, skoh-luh-] /ˈskɒl əˌsiz, ˈskoʊ lə-/. Zoology.
- the anterior, headlike segment of a tapeworm, having suckers, hooks, or the like, for attachment.
noun plural scoleces (skəʊˈliːsiːz) or scolices (ˈskɒlɪˌsiːz, ˈskəʊ-)
- the headlike part of a tapeworm, bearing hooks and suckers by which the animal is attached to the tissues of its host
n.“embryo stage of a tapeworm,” 1852, from Modern Latin scolex (plural scoleces), from Greek skolex “worm,” related to skolyptesthai “to twist and turn,” from PIE *skel- (3) “crooked” (see scoliosis). n. pl. sco•lex•es
- The knoblike anterior end of a tapeworm, having suckers or hooklike parts that in the adult stage serve as organs of attachment to the host.