flatworm

[flat-wurm]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

noun

any worm of the phylum Platyhelminthes, having bilateral symmetry and a soft, solid, usually flattened body, including the planarians, tapeworms, and trematodes; platyhelminth.

flatworm

/ ˈ�ڱ�æ��ˌ��ɜː�� /

noun

any parasitic or free-living invertebrate of the phylum Platyhelminthes , including planarians, flukes, and tapeworms, having a flattened body with no circulatory system and only one opening to the intestine

flatworm

Any of various parasitic and nonparasitic worms of the phylum Platyhelminthes, characteristically having a soft, flat, bilaterally symmetrical body. Flatworms lack a coelom (body cavity), respiratory system, and circulatory system, but are the most primitive invertebrates to have a brain. The evolutionary history of flatworms is uncertain, but they share some basic characteristics with rotifers, nematodes, and a few other invertebrate phyla. Cestodes (tapeworms), planarians, and trematodes (flukes) are flatworms.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of flatworm¹

First recorded in 1895–1900; flat ¹ + worm

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

Two species of the flatworms were discovered in California’s freshwater fish, according to a study published Tuesday in the Journal of Infectious Diseases.

From

This feature is also seen in flatworms and other animals with whole-body regenerative capabilities.

From

Sikes has been working with acoels for about 20 years, and their symbiotic relationship differentiates them from other animals that regenerate, like planarian flatworms and axolotls.

From

Solana and his group had previously focused on stem cells in a different type of worm: the planarian, or flatworm.

From

A paper published this week in the journal Pathogens describes how the team used DNA to confirm the identity of both the snails and the flatworm.

From

flatwork flat-woven

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