worm-powder

A child takes a dose of worm-powder with a glass of water.

Definition

Noun: A medicinal powder used to expel parasitic worms, such as roundworms or tapeworms, from the body, typically administered to humans or animals.

Usage Examples

• (A powdered medicine to eliminate parasitic worms.)
• (A historical treatment for worm infestations.)
• (A preparation for deworming animals.)

Advanced Usage

• "to administer worm-powder": to give the powder as a medical treatment.

  • The farmer carefully administered the worm-powder to the sheep. (He provided the deworming medication.)

• "worm-powder as a vermifuge": a substance that expels worms, often contrasted with a vermicide (which kills worms).

  • The worm-powder acted as a mild vermifuge, encouraging the worms to leave the body naturally. (It worked by expelling rather than killing the parasites.)

Variants and Related Words

• Worm (n): a long, slender, soft-bodied invertebrate animal; also used to refer to parasitic intestinal worms.

  • The child had a tapeworm, so the doctor gave him worm-powder. (A parasitic worm in the intestines.)

• Powder (n): a fine, dry substance made by grinding or crushing a solid.

  • The medicine came as a powder that could be dissolved in juice. (A dry, granular form of medication.)

• Dewormer (n): a substance used to remove parasitic worms from animals (synonymous with worm-powder in veterinary contexts).

  • The cat needs a dewormer every three months. (A medication to eliminate worms.)

Synonyms

• Vermifuge: a substance that expels worms from the body.
• Anthelmintic: a drug used to treat infections with parasitic worms.

Related Idioms

• • "The worm has turned": a situation has reversed, and the previously passive person now asserts themselves.

    • He was always quiet, but the worm has turned; now he speaks up. (His role has changed from passive to active.)