What does cestode mean?
A cestode is a parasitic flatworm belonging to the class Cestoda, a group best known for its most familiar member, the tapeworm. Adult cestodes live in the intestines of vertebrate hosts — humans, livestock, dogs, and fish among them — anchoring themselves by a scolex, or head, and growing long ribbon-like bodies made up of repeating segments called proglottids. Because they lack their own digestive tract, they absorb nutrients directly through their body surface. The term is chiefly technical, appearing in medical, veterinary, and biological writing rather than casual conversation, where 'tapeworm' predominates. Humans acquire cestode infections mainly by eating undercooked meat or fish containing larval stages. The name derives from the Greek kestos, a girdle or band, a fitting image for these strap-shaped parasites.
nounA parasitic flatworm of the class Cestoda, which includes the tapeworms; an adult cestode lives in the intestines of vertebrate hosts and typically has a long ribbon-like body divided into segments.
- A tapeworm; any parasitic flatworm of the class Cestoda, whose adults inhabit the intestines of vertebrates.
"The veterinarian identified the proglottids in the dog's stool as evidence of a cestode infestation."
"Beef tapeworm infections are caused by a cestode acquired through undercooked meat."
"Under the microscope, the cestode's chain of segments was clearly visible."
Standard plural; used freely in both countable and general statements about the group.
"Cestodes are hermaphroditic and can produce enormous numbers of eggs."
The word 'cestode' comes from the Greek 'kestos', meaning a girdle or embroidered band — because a tapeworm looks like a ribbon wrapped around the gut.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of cestode
The word 'cestode' derives from the Greek 'kestos', meaning a girdle, embroidered band, or belt, referring to the worm's long, ribbon-like form. It entered scientific Latin as Cestoda, the name of the taxonomic class, and English adopted it as both a noun ('cestode') and an adjective in the nineteenth century. The same Greek root also produced 'cestus', a term for a girdle or, in ancient boxing, a hand-wrap.
Related word forms
How cestode is actually used
Primarily a technical term used in veterinary medicine, parasitology, and medicine; in everyday speech people usually say 'tapeworm'. It functions attributively as well, as in 'cestode infestation' or 'cestode larvae'.
Easily confused with cestode
A nematode is a roundworm with a cylindrical body, whereas a cestode is a flat, segmented tapeworm.
A trematode is a fluke — another class of flatworm — while a cestode specifically refers to the tapeworms.