The soft, worm-like larva of a fly, usually found on decaying meat or food.
From Middle English 'maggote,' possibly derived from Old Norse 'mathkr' meaning worm. The word has Scandinavian roots and originally referred to any grub or insect larva. Over time it became specifically associated with fly larvae.
Maggots are nature's cleanup crew—they're so good at breaking down dead tissue that doctors actually use sterile maggots in hospitals to clean infected wounds! Medieval physicians unknowingly used them for medicine centuries before modern medicine caught up.
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