HOOKWORM

hookworm

(noun) parasitic bloodsucking roundworms having hooked mouth parts to fasten to the intestinal wall of human and other hosts

hookworm, hookworm disease

(noun) infestation of the intestines by hookworms which enter the body (usually) through the skin

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

hookworm (plural hookworms)

Any of various parasitic bloodsucking roundworms which cause disease, especially the species Ancylostoma duodenale and Necator americanus, having hooked mouthparts and entering their hosts by boring through the skin.

Source: Wiktionary