filaria

[ fi-lair-ee-uh ]

noun,plural fi·lar·i·ae

[fi-lair-ee-ee]. /fɪˈlɛər iˌi/.

any small, threadlike roundworm of the family Filariidae and related families, carried as a larva by mosquitoes and parasitic when adult in the blood or tissues of vertebrates.

Origin of filaria

<New Latin (1787), equivalent to Latin fīl(um) thread + -āria-aria

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British Dictionary definitions for filaria

filaria

/ (fɪˈlɛərɪə) /

nounplural -iae (-ɪˌiː)

any parasitic nematode worm of the family Filariidae, living in the blood and tissues of vertebrates and transmitted by insects: the cause of filariasis

Origin of filaria

C19: New Latin (former name of genus), from Latin fīlum thread

Derived forms of filaria

filarial or filarian, adjective

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for filaria

filaria

[ fə-lâr′ē-ə ]

Plural filariae (fə-lâr′ē-ē′)

Any of various slender, threadlike nematode worms of the superfamily Filarioidea that are parasitic in vertebrates and are often transmitted as larvae by mosquitoes and other biting insects. The adult form lives in the blood and lymphatic tissues and can cause inflammation and obstruction of lymphatic vessels.

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