echinococcus

E1C3H4I1N1O1C3O1C3C3U1S1
US/ɪˌkaɪ.nəˈkɑk.əs/

noun

A parasite of humans and of many domestic and wild animals, thought to be the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, that forms compound cysts or tumours (called hydatid cysts) in various organs, but especially in the liver and lungs.

Origintranslingual Echinococcus →
UncommonScrabble 23
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Meanings

nounechinococcus (plural echinococci)

plural echinococci

  1. archaicbiologyA parasite of humans and of many domestic and wild animals, thought to be the larval stage of Echinococcus granulosus, that forms compound cysts or tumours (called hydatid cysts) in various organs, but especially in the liver and lungs.

Origin

  1. translingualEchinococcus
  2. Englishechinococcus

Borrowed from translingual Echinococcus, from echino- (“sea urchin, prickle”) + -coccus (“spherical microorganism”).

More words from translingual

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French échinocoque
  • échinocoqueparasite
Greek εχινόκοκκος
  • εχινόκοκκος (echinókokkos)parasite
Russian эхиноко́кк
  • эхиноко́кк (exinokókk)parasite

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with echinococcus

streptococcusenterococcuscryptococcuspneumococcuscoccusascococcus-coccuscytococcusdiplococcusmacrococcusprotococcus
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

echinococcus. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/echinococcus

MLA

“echinococcus.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/echinococcus. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “echinococcus,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/echinococcus.

Source: echinococcus on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.