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screwworm fly

Either of two large parasitic flies, Cochliomyia hominivorax of the Americas or Chrysomya bezziana of Africa and Asia, that lay eggs in open wounds and body openings of mammals, and whose larvae cause serious injury or death to livestock by feeding on healthy tissue.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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