tapeworm
|tape-worm|
🇺🇸
/ˈteɪp.wɝm/
🇬🇧
/ˈteɪp.wɜː(r)m/
ribbon-like parasitic worm
Etymology
'tapeworm' originates from English, specifically a compound of 'tape' + 'worm', where 'tape' meant 'ribbon' and 'worm' meant 'creature' (a creeping animal).
'tapeworm' developed in Middle English/early Modern English from the combination of Middle English 'tape' (meaning 'ribbon') and Old English 'wyrm' (meaning 'serpent, worm'), eventually becoming the modern English word 'tapeworm'.
Initially, it referred to a 'ribbon-like worm'; over time it came to refer specifically to parasitic flatworms (cestodes) that inhabit intestines.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
any of various parasitic flatworms (class Cestoda) that live in the intestines of vertebrates; characterized by a long, ribbon-like body made of repeating segments.
A tapeworm was discovered during the medical examination.
Synonyms
Last updated: 2025/12/26 01:23