screwworm

noun

screw·​worm ˈskrü-ˌwərm 

1

: a blowfly (Cochliomyia hominivorax) of the warmer parts of America whose larva develops in sores or wounds or in the nostrils of mammals including humans with serious or sometimes fatal results

especially : its larva

2

: any of several flies other than the screwworm and especially their larvae which parasitize the flesh of mammals

Examples of screwworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Though they are most commonly associated with animals, screwworm infections can have serious consequences for the health of humans. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

Screwworm infections are caused by parasitic larvae of fly species, most significantly the New World screwworm fly. —Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 28 Nov. 2024

The United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) announced that a New World screwworm (NWS) was detected in Mexico on Friday, causing the agency to pause animal imports from the country. —Ashleigh Fields, The Hill, 26 Nov. 2024

Sterilized male screwworms are released to mate with females, which lay eggs that don’t hatch. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 28 June 2023

The successful screwworm campaign relied on blasts of radiation to sterilize the males. —Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 11 May 2017

Since the 1950s, the US government has used it to tamp down screwworms, parasitic flies that feed on the flesh of livestock. —Emily Mullin, WIRED, 28 June 2023

The technique is so effective, the US was able to completely eradicate the screwworm (Cochliomyia hominivorax) in 1982. —Christie Wilcox, Discover Magazine, 27 Jan. 2015

Primary myiasis is caused by the screwworm’s fly cousins and involves a deliberate breach of skin and tissue by larvae. —Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 22 July 2013

Word History

First Known Use

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

screwworm

noun

screw·​worm ˈskrü-ˌwərm 

: the larva of a blowfly of the warm parts of America that develops in the wounds or sores of mammals and may cause disease or death

also : the blowfly itself

Medical Definition

screwworm

noun

screw·​worm ˈskrü-ˌwərm 

1

: either of two dipteran flies of the genus Cochliomyia:

a

: one (C. hominivorax) of the warmer parts of America whose larva develops in sores or wounds or in the nostrils of mammals including humans with serious or sometimes fatal results

especially : its larva

b

: secondary screwworm

2

: a dipteran fly of the genus Chrysomya (C. bezziana) that causes myiasis in Africa and southern Asia