'ancylostome' originates from Greek, specifically the word 'ankylostoma,' where 'ankylos' meant 'crooked' and 'stoma' meant 'mouth.'

'ankylostoma' was adopted into scientific Latin as 'Ancylostoma,' and eventually became the modern English word 'ancylostome.'

Initially, it referred specifically to a genus of hookworms with a curved mouth, but now it is used more broadly for hookworms of the family Ancylostomatidae.