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candiru

Syllabification: (can·di·ru)
Pronunciation: /ˌkandəˈro͞o/

Definition of candiru

noun

  • a minute, slender catfish of the Amazon region that feeds by sucking blood from other fishes and sometimes enters the body orifices of mammals. It is notorious for its occasional habit of entering the urethra of human swimmers.
    • Vandellia cirrhosa, family Trichomycteridae

Origin:

mid 19th century: via Portuguese from Tupi candirú

candiru in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of candiru in the British & World English dictionary
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