roundworm

noun

round·​worm ˈrau̇nd-ˌwərm How to pronounce roundworm (audio)
: nematode
also : a related round-bodied unsegmented worm (such as a spiny-headed worm) as distinguished from a flatworm

Examples of roundworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Parasites, such as ticks (opens a new tab) and roundworms (opens a new tab), hitch rides on electric fields generated by larger animal hosts. quantamagazine.org, 30 Sep. 2024 Their discoveries on how certain microRNAs in the roundworm govern growth of organs and tissue was initially dismissed as specific to the species. Niklas Pollard, USA TODAY, 7 Oct. 2024 Collaborating but working separately, the pair conducted research on a 1 millimeter roundworm, C. elegans, to determine why cell mutations occurred and when. Jason Ma, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2024 The research was initially conducted in the tiny roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans, but the mechanism has since been found in the genes of humans and most other animals. Tanya Lewis, Scientific American, 7 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for roundworm 

Word History

First Known Use

1558, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of roundworm was in 1558

Dictionary Entries Near roundworm

Cite this Entry

“Roundworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roundworm. Accessed 8 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

roundworm

noun
round·​worm ˈrau̇n-ˌdwərm How to pronounce roundworm (audio)
: a nematode worm (as a hookworm)
also : a related round-bodied worm without segments as compared to a flatworm

Medical Definition

roundworm

noun
round·​worm ˈrau̇n-ˌdwərm How to pronounce roundworm (audio)
: nematode
also : a related round-bodied unsegmented worm (as an acanthocephalan) as distinguished from a flatworm

More from Merriam-Webster on roundworm

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