miracidium

 
Pronunciation: /ˌmʌɪrəˈsɪdɪəm/

noun (plural miracidia /-dɪə/)

Zoology
  • a free-swimming ciliated larval stage in which a parasitic fluke passes from the egg to its first host, typically a snail.

Origin:

late 19th century: from Greek meirakidion, diminutive of meirakion 'boy, stripling'