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tapewormmore about tapeworm

tapeworm

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Tapeworm  \Tape"worm`\,  n.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  Any  one  of  numerous  species  of  cestode  worms  belonging  to 
  T[ae]nia  and  many  allied  genera.  The  body  is  long,  flat,  and 
  composed  of  numerous  segments  or  proglottids  varying  in 
  shape,  those  toward  the  end  of  the  body  being  much  larger  and 
  longer  than  the  anterior  ones,  and  containing  the  fully 
  developed  sexual  organs.  The  head  is  small  destitute  of  a 
  mouth,  but  furnished  with  two  or  more  suckers  (which  vary 
  greatly  in  shape  in  different  genera),  and  sometimes  also 
  with  hooks  for  adhesion  to  the  walls  of  the  intestines  of  the 
  animals  in  which  they  are  parasitic.  The  larv[ae]  (see 
  {Cysticercus})  live  in  the  flesh  of  various  creatures,  and 
  when  swallowed  by  another  animal  of  the  right  species  develop 
  into  the  mature  tapeworm  in  its  intestine.  See  Illustration 
  in  Appendix. 
 
  Note:  Three  species  are  common  parasites  of  man:  the  {pork 
  tapeworm}  ({T[ae]nia  solium}),  the  larva  of  which  is 
  found  in  pork;  the  {beef  tapeworm}  ({T. 
  mediocanellata}),  the  larva  of  which  lives  in  the  flesh 
  of  young  cattle;  and  the  {broad  tapeworm} 
  ({Bothriocephalus  latus})  which  is  found  chiefly  in  the 
  inhabitants  of  the  mountainous  regions  of  Europe  and 
  Asia.  See  also  {Echinococcus},  {Cysticercus}, 
  {Proglottis},  and  2d  {Measles},  4. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  tapeworm 
  n  :  ribbon-like  flatworms  that  are  parasitic  in  the  intestines 
  of  humans  and  other  vertebrates  [syn:  {cestode}]




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