heartworm

noun

heart·​worm ˈhärt-ˌwərm 

: a filarial worm (Dirofilaria immitis) that is a parasite especially in the right heart of dogs and is transmitted by mosquitoes

also : infestation or disease caused by the heartworm

Examples of heartworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Mosquitoes are even to blame for heartworms in canines. —Clarence Schmidt, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2024

That includes preventive treatments for fleas and ticks and heartworm and vaccinations for parvo, distemper and rabies, says Kohl. —Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 29 Oct. 2024

Even a routine checkup for vaccines, heartworm prevention, and diet recommendations can cost a couple of hundred dollars, and any medical procedure starts at $1,000 and can reach $10,000 quickly. —The Denver Post Editorial Board, The Denver Post, 16 Sep. 2024

While being treated for heartworm, King was limited to leash walks only, and Humane Society of Pinellas staff members would take him out on long walks to keep him entertained. —Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 15 Aug. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1877, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

heartworm

noun

heart·​worm -ˌwərm 

1

: a filarial worm of the genus Dirofilaria (D. immitis) that is especially common in warm regions, lives as an adult in the right heart especially of dogs, and discharges active larvae into the circulating blood whence they may be picked up by mosquitoes and transmitted to other hosts and that may infect humans causing local pulmonary infarction but does not achieve sexual maturity in the human organism

2

: infestation with or disease especially of dogs caused by the heartworm, resulting typically in gasping, coughing, and nervous disorder, and when severe commonly leading to death