What does ascaris mean?
Ascaris is a genus of large parasitic roundworms — unsegmented nematode worms — that live in the intestines of their hosts. Its best-known member, Ascaris lumbricoides, infects humans and is among the most common parasitic worms worldwide, particularly in regions with poor sanitation. Infection, known as ascariasis, occurs when microscopic eggs shed in faeces contaminate food, water, or soil and are accidentally swallowed; the larvae hatch, migrate through the body, and mature into sizable adult worms in the small intestine. Because it names a biological genus, the word appears almost exclusively in medical literature, public-health reporting, and veterinary contexts rather than casual conversation. Understanding Ascaris matters less for everyday vocabulary than for its global significance: hundreds of millions of people carry these worms, making deworming programmes a cornerstone of preventive medicine across much of the developing world.
nounAscaris is a genus of large parasitic roundworms (nematodes) that inhabit the intestines of humans and other mammals, the most familiar species being Ascaris lumbricoides, the human intestinal roundworm.
- A genus of parasitic intestinal roundworms of humans and other mammals.
"The stool sample revealed the presence of Ascaris eggs, confirming an intestinal worm infection."
"Public health campaigns in tropical regions focus on deworming children to reduce the burden of Ascaris infection."
"Under the microscope, the fertilised eggs of Ascaris are unmistakable — thick-shelled and mammillated."
In practice, the genus name is usually treated as invariant; "ascarises" appears occasionally in general writing, while scientific texts prefer to name individual species instead.
"Several ascarises were recovered during the examination."
Ascaris lumbricoides can grow up to 35 centimetres long inside your small intestine — making it one of the largest parasites that routinely infects humans.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of ascaris
The word Ascaris derives from the ancient Greek "askaris" (ἀσκαρίς), meaning an intestinal worm, a term used by early Greek medical writers such as Hippocrates. Latin borrowed the form as "ascaris," and it entered scientific nomenclature when Linnaeus established the genus in the eighteenth century. It shares this Greek root with "ascariasis," the name of the disease the worm causes, and with the related term "ascarid."
Related word forms
How ascaris is actually used
"Ascaris" is a scientific (taxonomic) term used chiefly in medical, veterinary, and public-health contexts; in ordinary speech people are more likely to say "roundworms" or "intestinal worms." The plural in scientific usage may be rendered "Ascaris" (unchanged) or "ascarises," though writers typically avoid pluralising a genus name directly.
Easily confused with ascaris
Ascariasis is the disease caused by infection with Ascaris worms, not the worm itself.