Cysticercus
/ˌsɪstɪˈsɜːr.kəs/noun
The larval stage of certain tapeworms, especially those of the genus Taenia, found in the tissues of intermediate hosts.
Did you know?The name was coined in scientific Latin from Greek roots, because the larva looks like a tiny fluid-filled bladder with a tail-like invagination, proving even biology can sound like occult anatomy.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
kystis
“bladder, pouch, or sac”
Ancient Greek
Greek
kerkos
“tail”
18th-19th Century
New Latin
cysticercus
“scientific term for a tapeworm larva with a bladder-like body and tail-like form”
Modern English
English
cysticercus
“the larval stage of certain tapeworms”