Ascaricide

/əˈskærɪsaɪd/ noun

Definition

A drug or chemical substance that kills parasitic roundworms, especially those of the genus Ascaris.

Etymology

From ascaris (roundworm) plus -cide (from Latin caedere, to kill). This medical term emerged in the late 19th century as pharmaceutical science developed treatments for parasitic infections.

Kelly Says

Ascaricide is to roundworms what insecticide is to insects—it's a drug that kills them—and people in tropical regions or areas with poor sanitation would have been very grateful for these medicines, which relieved the pain and weakness of intestinal worm infections!

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