A group or class of parasitic animals that infect or inhabit joints.
From Greek 'arthron' (joint) + 'zoa' (animals, plural of zoon). A zoological term combining the study of joints with parasitology.
This obscure word reminds us that before microscopes and antibiotics, parasites living in joints seemed like mysterious invaders from another world—hence naming them as 'joint animals' felt appropriately mysterious.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.