hookworm

noun

hook·worm | \ ˈhu̇k-ˌwərm

Definition of hookworm

1 : any of several parasitic nematode worms (family Ancylostomatidae) that have strong buccal hooks or plates for attaching to the host's intestinal lining and that include serious bloodsucking pests

2 : infestation with or disease caused by hookworms especially : a lethargic anemic state in humans due to blood loss from hookworms feeding in the small intestine

Examples of hookworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Mark Cuban Cost Plus Drugs donated 10,000 pills of albendazole to go toward care for children with hookworm infection in rural Alabama. — Dom Difurio, Dallas News, "A Dallas-based generic drug startup bearing Mark Cuban’s name just came out of stealth," 19 Jan. 2021 The first drug being produced by the company is a generic treatment for hookworm called albendazole. — Dom Difurio, Dallas News, "A Dallas-based generic drug startup bearing Mark Cuban’s name just came out of stealth," 19 Jan. 2021 Black Belt have been a black eye for the state for years, with officials from the United Nations comparing sewage conditions here to developing nations, and researchers finding evidence that hookworm is impacting people in the region. — Dennis Pillion | Dpillion@al.com, al, "Biggest environmental stories of 2020 in Alabama," 31 Dec. 2020 This is also a problem for vaccines under development for parasitic illnesses such as malaria, schistosomiasis, and hookworm infection, Bethony says. — Kate Baggaley, Popular Science, "Can you spread COVID-19 after vaccination? Here’s what we know.," 28 Dec. 2020 But in MacArthur grant-winning Catherine Coleman Flowers’ birthplace of Lowndes County, Alabama, one in three residents tested positive for a hookworm infection. — Corryn Wetzel, Smithsonian Magazine, "The Ten Best Science Books of 2020," 27 Nov. 2020 Though there is no link between hookworm and COVID, the same people are being afflicted by both. — Alexis Okeowo, The New Yorker, "The Heavy Toll of the Black Belt’s Wastewater Crisis," 23 Nov. 2020 Medical researchers have been studying the role of the hookworm, a parasite that causes intestinal disease in humans and leads to anemia. — Eric Niiler, Wired, "Should We Conserve Parasites? Apparently, Yes," 13 Aug. 2020 The researchers then analyzed the DNA in those samples, looking for genetic traces of two of the most common types of parasitic worms endemic in many countries today: the whipworm Trichuris trichiura, and the hookworm belonging to the genus Ascaris. — Michael Price, Science | AAAS, "Parasitic worms found in medieval human remains hold secret for eradicating them today," 1 Sep. 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hookworm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Last Updated

1 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Hookworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hookworm. Accessed 5 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for hookworm

hookworm

noun

hook·worm | \ ˈhu̇k-ˌwərm

Kids Definition of hookworm

: a small worm that lives in the intestines and makes people sick by sucking their blood

hookworm

noun

hook·worm | \ ˈhu̇k-ˌwərm

Medical Definition of hookworm

1 : any of several parasitic nematode worms of the family Ancylostomatidae that have strong buccal hooks or plates for attaching to the host's intestinal lining and that include serious bloodsucking pests

2 : ancylostomiasis