tapeworm
pronunciation
How to pronounce tapeworm in British English:
UK [ˈteɪpwɜ:m]
How to pronounce tapeworm in American English:
US [ˈteɪpwɜrm]
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- Noun:
- ribbon-like flatworms that are parasitic in the intestines of humans and other vertebrates
Word Origin
- tapeworm (n.)
- 1705, from tape (n.) + worm (n.); so called for its ribbon-like shape.
Example
- 1. Is that an elastic band on the slick red floor , or a tapeworm ?
- 2. The stomach contained a fish hook , bits of digested fish skull and some tapeworm .
- 3. The pork tapeworm shown here , taenia solium , can grow as long as 20 feet ( six meters ) .
- 4. Often , people don 't even know they have tapeworm until they see the worms-or pieces of them in their stool .
- 5. If you swallow a tapeworm in a cyst and let it grow inside you , dieters claim the worm will help you lose 1-2 pounds a week .