Any parasitic worm that affects the back or spine of animals; or a worm found in backwater environments.
From 'back' plus 'worm' (Old English 'wyrm'). A zoological term that emerged as parasitology developed in the 19th-20th centuries.
Backworms and similar parasites shaped human history—they reduced worker productivity in tropical regions, influenced where civilizations could thrive, and made some colonial 'explorations' nearly impossible to sustain.
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