proglottid

noun

pro·​glot·​tid (ˌ)prō-ˈglä-təd How to pronounce proglottid (audio)
: a segment of a tapeworm containing both male and female reproductive organs

Examples of proglottid in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Each proglottid contains all of the necessary machinery to reproduce - testes, ovaries and uterus are neatly compacted into a globular, rosette shape that churns out eggs. Rebecca Kreston, Discover Magazine, 27 Sep. 2011 From there, tapeworms grow a bunch of little segments called proglottids, which contain eggs, and are often passed out of the body with the host's stool. Maria Masters, Health.com, 24 May 2018

Word History

Etymology

New Latin proglottis

First Known Use

1864, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of proglottid was in 1864

Dictionary Entries Near proglottid

Cite this Entry

“Proglottid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proglottid. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

proglottid

noun
pro·​glot·​tid (ˈ)prō-ˈglät-əd How to pronounce proglottid (audio)
: one of the segments of a tapeworm formed by a process of strobilation in the neck region of the worm, containing both male and female reproductive organs, and surviving briefly after breaking away from the strobila

More from Merriam-Webster on proglottid

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!