What does anthelminthic mean?
An anthelminthic is any drug or agent used to destroy or expel parasitic worms — helminths such as roundworms, tapeworms, and flukes — from the bodies of humans and animals. The word also functions as an adjective describing anything that has this worm-fighting property, as in 'an anthelminthic effect'. Such agents, sometimes called vermifuges or vermicides depending on whether they expel or kill the parasites outright, are central to both veterinary medicine and global public health: mass deworming campaigns rely on inexpensive, broad-spectrum anthelminthics to treat children in regions where soil-transmitted worm infections are widespread. The term is formal and technical, appearing chiefly in medical, pharmacological, and scientific writing rather than everyday conversation. A closely related and more frequently used spelling variant is 'anthelmintic'; the two forms mean exactly the same thing, and writers should simply choose one form and use it consistently.
A drug or other agent that destroys or expels parasitic worms from the body.
"The clinic stocked several anthelminthics for treating hookworm infections."
In modern medical literature the variant spelling 'anthelmintic' predominates.
Having the property of killing or expelling parasitic worms.
"The compound showed marked anthelminthic activity in laboratory trials."
Standard plural for the noun form; the plural refers to different kinds or doses of worm-treating agents.
"The pharmacy carries several anthelminthics suitable for livestock."
Every year, billions of deworming tablets — anthelminthics — are handed out across the tropics in one of the largest public-health campaigns on Earth, all aimed at creatures too small to see but old enough to have plagued humans since antiquity.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anthelminthic
The word derives from the Greek 'helmins' (genitive 'helminthos'), meaning intestinal worm, combined with the prefix 'anti-', meaning against. It entered English medical vocabulary in the nineteenth century, when systematic pharmacology was classifying agents by the parasites they targeted. The same Greek root gives us related terms such as 'helminth', 'helminthology' (the study of parasitic worms), and 'helminthiasis' (infestation with worms).
Related word forms
How anthelminthic is actually used
A formal, technical term used mainly in medicine, veterinary science, and pharmacology; everyday speech favors simpler words like 'dewormer' or 'wormer'. The spelling 'anthelmintic' is considerably more common than 'anthelminthic', though both are accepted.
Easily confused with anthelminthic
Anthelmintic is simply the more common spelling variant of the same word — both mean a worm-expelling agent, differing only in spelling.