ankylostomiasis
|æŋ-kɪ-loʊ-stə-maɪ-ə-sɪs|
🇺🇸
/ˌæŋkɪloʊstəˈmaɪəsɪs/
🇬🇧
/ˌæŋkɪləstəˈmaɪəsɪs/
disease caused by hookworms
Etymology
'ankylostomiasis' originates from Greek elements: 'ankylos' meaning 'bent; hooked' and 'stoma' meaning 'mouth', combined with the medical suffix '-iasis' meaning 'disease'.
'ankylostomiasis' entered scientific/medical usage via New Latin as the disease name related to the genus name 'Ancylostoma' (the hookworm genus) and then became established in modern English as 'ancylostomiasis' or the variant spelling 'ankylostomiasis'.
Initially it referred specifically to disease caused by Ancylostoma species; over time the term has been used more broadly for hookworm infections (including those by Necator americanus).
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
an infectious disease caused by hookworm species (notably Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus), characterized by intestinal infestation that can lead to abdominal pain, iron-deficiency anemia, and malnutrition.
Several children in the village were treated for ankylostomiasis after poor sanitation contaminated local soil.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/08/14 13:22