What does anthelmintic mean?
An anthelmintic is a drug or other agent that kills or expels parasitic worms — known as helminths — from the human or animal body, most often from the digestive tract. The term functions as both a noun (the drug itself) and an adjective (describing anything with this worm-fighting property). Anthelmintics are central to both veterinary practice, where they are routinely given to livestock and pets as dewormers, and public health, where mass deworming programs use them to control infections such as ascariasis and hookworm in tropical regions. Common examples include albendazole, mebendazole, ivermectin, and praziquantel. A growing concern is anthelmintic resistance, particularly among livestock parasites, which has made careful drug rotation and dosing important. Though technical in register, the word is worth knowing because it names one of the most widely administered classes of medicine worldwide, touching everything from farm management to global child health.
A drug or agent that destroys or expels parasitic worms (helminths), especially from the intestines.
"Albendazole is a broad-spectrum anthelmintic used against roundworms, hookworms, and tapeworms."
Often used attributively in phrases like 'anthelmintic treatment'.
Having the property of killing or expelling parasitic worms from the body.
"Pumpkin seeds have long been credited with mild anthelmintic properties in traditional medicine."
As a countable noun referring to individual drugs of this class, the plural 'anthelmintics' is standard in medical and veterinary writing.
"Several anthelmintics are on the World Health Organization's list of essential medicines."
The word 'anthelmintic' literally means 'against worms' — and one of the oldest ones, chenopodium oil, was used for centuries before anyone knew exactly how it worked.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of anthelmintic
Anthelmintic derives from the Greek root 'helmins' (genitive 'helminthos'), meaning intestinal worm, combined with the prefix 'anti-', meaning against. The term entered scientific English through Latinized Greek medical vocabulary, becoming established in pharmacological usage by the nineteenth century as the study of parasitic worms matured. It shares its root with related terms such as 'helminth', 'helminthology' (the study of worms), and 'helminthiasis' (worm infestation disease).
How anthelmintic is actually used
A technical term used mainly in medicine, veterinary science, and pharmacology. In everyday speech, 'dewormer' or 'worming medicine' is more common. The noun and adjective uses are closely linked: the same word names both the drug class and its defining property.
Easily confused with anthelmintic
A vermifuge specifically expels worms without necessarily killing them, whereas an anthelmintic is the broader term covering agents that either kill or expel helminths.
An insecticide kills insects, while an anthelmintic targets parasitic worms such as roundworms and tapeworms.