Cestoidea

1 definition found

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

  Cestoidea \Ces*toid"e*a\ (s[e^]s*toid"[-e]*[.a]), n. pl. [NL.,
     gr. Gr. kesto`s girdle + -oid.] (Zool.)
     A class of parasitic worms of the phylum Platyhelminthes
     (formerly Platelminthes) of which the tapeworms are the most
     common examples. The body is flattened, and usually but not
     always long, and composed of numerous joints or segments,


     each of which may contain a complete set of male and female
     reproductive organs. They have neither mouth nor intestine.
     See {Tapeworm}. [Written also {Cestoidea}.]
  
     Syn: class Cestoidea, Cestoidea.
          [1913 Webster]