SINCE 1828
eye worm
nounMedical Definition of eye worm
: a parasitic worm found in the eye: as
a
: either of two slender nematode worms of the genus Oxyspirura (O. mansoni and O. petrowi) living beneath the nictitating membrane of the eyes of birds and especially chickens
b
: any member of the nematode genus Thelazia living in the tear duct and beneath the eyelid of dogs, cats, sheep, humans, and other mammals and sometimes causing blindness
c
: an African filarial worm of the genus Loa (L. loa) that migrates through the eyeball and subcutaneous tissues of humans — compare calabar swelling
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