Acanthocephala

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Acanthocephala \A*can`tho*ceph"a*la\, n. pl. [NL., from Gr. ? a
     spine, thorn + ? head.] (Zool.)
     A group of intestinal worms, having the proboscis armed with
     recurved spines.
     [1913 Webster]



From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  Acanthocephala
       n : phylum or class of elongated wormlike parasites that live in
           the intestines of vertebrates: spiny-headed worms [syn: {phylum
           Acanthocephala}]