nematode

[ nem-uh-tohd ]

noun
  1. any unsegmented worm of the phylum Nematoda, having an elongated, cylindrical body; a roundworm.

adjective
  1. pertaining to the Nematoda.

Origin of nematode

1
First recorded in 1860–65; nemat- + -ode1

Words Nearby nematode

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How to use nematode in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nematode

nematode

/ (ˈnɛməˌtəʊd) /


noun
  1. any unsegmented worm of the phylum (or class) Nematoda, having a tough outer cuticle. The group includes free-living forms and disease-causing parasites, such as the hookworm and filaria: Also called: nematode worm, roundworm

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 nematode

nematode

[ nĕmə-tōd′ ]


  1. Any of several slender, cylindrical worms of the group Nematoda, which some scientists consider to be a class of the aschelminths and others to be a separate phylum. Most nematodes are tiny and live in enormous numbers in water, soil, plants, and animals. They have a simple structure, with a long hollow gut separated from the body wall by a fluid-filled space. Several nematodes, such as pinworm, roundworm, filaria, and hookworm, are parasites on animals and humans and cause disease. One species, Caenorhabditis elegans (usually called C. elegans), was one of the first animals to have its entire genome sequenced and is important in biological research as a model organism.

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