hookworm

noun

• a parasitic nematode worm which inhabits the intestines of humans and other animals. It has hook-like mouthparts with which it attaches itself to the wall of the gut, puncturing the blood vessels and feeding on the blood.

  • Ancylostoma, Uncinaria, Necator, and other genera, class Phasmida, including N. americanus, which infects millions of people in the tropics
• [mass noun] a disease caused by an infestation of hookworms, often resulting in severe anaemia.