n. Any of various chiefly tropical trematode worms of the family Schistosomatidae and especially the genus Schistosoma, many of which are parasitic in the blood of humans and other mammals. Also called bilharzia, blood fluke. [New Latin Schistosōma, genus name : Greek skhistos, split; see SCHIST + Greek sōma, body; see -SOME3.] schis′to·somal (-sōməl) adj. |
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