Scolecoid
/ˈskoʊliˌɔɪd/noun
Worm-shaped or resembling a worm.
Did you know?The root behind scolecoid also appears in taxonomic names for bark beetles, whose slender bodies inspired the same worm-related imagery.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
σκώληξ (skṓlēx)
“Worm, grub, or intestinal worm”
Classical Greek
Greek
σκωληκο- (skōlēko-)
“Worm-related combining form, used in compounds”
Hellenistic–Late Greek
Greek
-ειδής (-eidḗs)
“Having the form or appearance of; resembling”
19th Century
New Latin
scolecoides
“Worm-shaped; formed from Greek skṓlēx plus -oeidēs”
19th Century–Modern English
English
scolecoid
“Resembling a worm, especially in biological description”
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