trichina

[ trih-kahy-nuh ]
/ trɪˈkaɪ nə /

noun, plural tri·chi·nae [trih-kahy-nee] /trɪˈkaɪ ni/.

a nematode, Trichinella spiralis, the adults of which live in the intestine and produce larvae that encyst in the muscle tissue, especially in pigs, rats, and humans.

Origin of trichina

1825–35; < New Latin < Greek tríchina, noun use of feminine of tríchinos of hair. See trich-, -ine1

Words nearby trichina

triceps surae reflex, triceratops, trich-, trichiasis, trichilemmoma, trichina, trichinella, trichinize, trichinopoly, trichinosis, trichinous

Example sentences from the Web for trichina

British Dictionary definitions for trichina

trichina
/ (trɪˈkaɪnə) /

noun plural -nae (-niː)

a parasitic nematode worm, Trichinella spiralis, occurring in the intestines of pigs, rats, and man and producing larvae that form cysts in skeletal muscle

Word Origin for trichina

C19: from New Latin, from Greek trikhinos relating to hair, from thrix a hair

Medical definitions for trichina

trichina
[ trĭ-kī′nə ]

n. pl. tri•chi•nae (-nē)

A small, slender parasitic nematode (Trichinella spiralis) that infests the intestines of various mammals and whose larvae move through the bloodstream, becoming encysted in muscles.