Echinococcus

2 definitions found

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

  Echinococcus \E*chi`no*coc"cus\ ([e^]*k[imac]"n[-o]*k[o^]k*k),
     n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'echi^nos hedgehog, sea urchin + ko`kkos
     grain, seed, berry. So called because forming little granular
     bodies, each armed with hooklets and disposed upon the inner
     wall of the hydatid cysts.] (Zo["o]l.)
     A parasite of man and of many domestic and wild animals,


     forming compound cysts or tumors (called hydatid cysts) in
     various organs, but especially in the liver and lungs, which
     often cause death. It is the larval stage of the {T[ae]nia
     echinococcus}, a small tapeworm peculiar to the dog. The
     adult form is not found in man.
     [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  echinococcus
       n : tapeworms whose larvae are parasitic in humans and domestic
           animals
       [also: {echinococci} (pl)]