trematode

noun

trem·​a·​tode ˈtre-mə-ˌtōd How to pronounce trematode (audio)
: any of a class (Trematoda) of parasitic usually hermaphroditic flatworms including the flukes
trematode adjective

Examples of trematode 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.
Then there is a parasitic worm (trematode) that targets a particular species of marsh-dwelling brown shrimp (amphipod), turning the shrimp an orange hue and altering the host shrimp's behavior. — Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 31 Oct. 2023 Of those 12, nine did not change in abundance across the decades; two, a trematode and a thorny-headed worm, decreased; and another, a trematode, increased. — Rachel Nuwer, Scientific American, 28 Apr. 2022

Word History

Etymology

from the stem of New Latin Trematoda, class name, neuter plural derivative from the stem of Greek trēmatṓdēs "having holes," from trēmat-, trêma "aperture, hole" (from trē-, variant stem of tetraínein "to bore through, perforate" + -mat-, -ma, resultative noun suffix) + -ōdēs "like, having the nature of"; trē- going back to Indo-European *treh1- "bore," apparently variant of *terh1- with the same sense — more at elodea}, {mat

Note: The taxon Trematoda was introduced by the Sweden-born German physician and naturalist Karl Asmund Rudolphi (1771-1832) in Entozoorum, sive vermium intestinalium historia naturalis, volumen 1 (Amsterdam, 1808), p. 198. Rudolphi characterized Trematoda as a subdivision of Entozoa (intestinal worms): "…3. E[ntozoa] trematoda (τρημα, foramen [aperture, hole], τρηματωδης foraminosus [full of holes]) … ." The name seems to allude to the suckers that trematodes use for attachment, which Rudophi called pori suctorii "sucker pores."

First Known Use

circa 1859, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of trematode was circa 1859

Rhymes for trematode

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“Trematode.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trematode. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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Kids Definition

trematode

noun
trem·​a·​tode ˈtrem-ə-ˌtōd How to pronounce trematode (audio)
: any of a class of parasitic flatworms including the flukes
trematode adjective

Medical Definition

trematode

noun
trem·​a·​tode ˈtrem-ə-ˌtōd How to pronounce trematode (audio)
: any parasitic flatworm (as a liver fluke) of the class Trematoda
trematode adjective

More from Merriam-Webster on trematode

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trematode

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