bloodworm

bloodworm
/blud"werrm'/, n.
1. any of several red or red-blooded annelid worms, esp. various earthworms.
2. the freshwater larva of midges.
[1735-45; BLOOD + WORM]

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 any of certain bright red, segmented, aquatic worms of the phylum Annelida. Included are worms of the freshwater genus Tubifex, also known as sludge worms (class Oligochaeta, family Tubificidae), which are used as a tropical-fish food. The marine proboscis worm Glycera (class Polychaeta, family Glyceridae) is sometimes called bloodworm. G. dibranchiata is found along the eastern coast of North America. It grows to 37 centimetres (about 15 inches) in length.

      The bloodred aquatic larvae of some species of the midge Chironomus of the insect family Chironomidae are also called bloodworms.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • bloodworm — [blud′wʉrm΄] n. 1. any of various small, red annelid worms, as the sludgeworm 2. the wormlike red larva of various midges, esp. of a genus (Chironomus) that lays its eggs in water …   English World dictionary

  • bloodworm — noun Date: 1714 1. any of various reddish annelid worms (as of genera Glycera or Tubifex) often used as bait 2. any of several strongyle worms (genus Strongylus) that are parasitic in the large intestine of horses …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • bloodworm — 1) the red chironomid midge larvae living in bottom sediments and used by anglers in Europe as bait for small fish and by aquarists as fish food. Some sources carry pathogens and may not be advisable as aquarium food 2) sandworm (a marine worm… …   Dictionary of ichthyology

  • bloodworm — 1. The filarial parasite of sheep, Elaeophora schneideri. 2. Red aquatic larvae of certain dipterous gnats and midges. 3. Marine annelids in the family Terebellidae with soft bodies and red blood. 4. Blood inhabiting worms, such as the human… …   Medical dictionary

  • bloodworm — n. red fragmented aquatic worm (used for bait) …   English contemporary dictionary

  • bloodworm — noun 1》 the bright red aquatic larva of a midge. 2》 another term for tubifex …   English new terms dictionary

  • bloodworm — blood•worm [[t]ˈblʌdˌwɜrm[/t]] n. 1) ivt any of several small red annelid worms, esp. various earthworms 2) ivt the freshwater larva of midges …   From formal English to slang

  • bloodworm — /ˈblʌdwɜm/ (say bludwerm) noun 1. any of various freshwater insect larvae of the genus Chironomus, which live in the muddy sediment of a river bottom, and which are more or less bright red, according to the degree of oxygenation of their… …  

  • bloodworm — n. 1 any of a variety of bright red midge larvae. 2 a small tubifex worm used as food for aquarium fish …   Useful english dictionary

  • bloodworm scraper — a tool used to collect bloodworms, comprising a long handle and an angled metal blade to which the bloodworms stick when it is scraped through the silt …   Dictionary of ichthyology

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