bloodworm

noun

blood·​worm ˈbləd-ˌwərm 

variants or less commonly blood worm

plural bloodworms also blood worms

: any of various pink to red worms: such as

a

: any of a genus (Glycera) of bristle worms that live in shallow marine waters or tidal flats and that are often used as bait

b

: the bright red aquatic larva of a midge fly and especially a chironomid that is commonly used as food for aquarium fish

c

: any of several strongyle worms (such as Strongylus vulgaris) that are intestinal parasites of horses and that typically migrate to the liver, pancreas, or blood vessels

Examples of bloodworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

How: Stripers can be lazy at this time of year, which is why bloodworms, clams, and sandworms are some of the most productive baits. —Joe Cermele, Field & Stream, 14 Mar. 2024

As water temperatures plunge and ice covers the surface, the bluegill buffet shifts to bloodworms, freshwater shrimp and scuds, and even tiny zooplankton. —Outdoor Life, 27 Jan. 2020

But Miike, adapting a manga by Hiroaki Samura, has something else in store for Manji: a creepy old woman shows up and bestows upon him the gift of immortality, inserting magical bloodworms under his skin that will keep him alive forever. —Ben Sachs, Chicago Reader, 9 Mar. 2018

Maine’s catch of bloodworms has dropped from more than 600,000 pounds in 2004 to less than half that last year. —Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2017

These baits are a good imitation of a bloodworm, which is a common food source for a variety of fish in most waters. —Terry Wickstrom, The Denver Post, 14 Mar. 2017

Maine harvesters are by far the U.S.’s largest suppliers of sandworms and bloodworms, twisty, fat critters that can grow longer than a foot and have teeth that inflict a painful bite. —Patrick Whittle, The Seattle Times, 27 Apr. 2017

The price for bloodworms at the dock has more than doubled since 2001, to nearly $16 per pound, and that cost is eventually borne by consumers. —Washington Post, 27 Apr. 2017

An October study in the journal Fish and Fisheries said bloodworms are the most valuable marine worm species on the retail bait market, and sandworms aren’t far behind. —Patrick Whittle, The Seattle Times, 27 Apr. 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1736, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

bloodworm

noun

blood·​worm ˈbləd-ˌwərm 

: any of several comparatively large bloodsucking nematode worms of the genus Strongylus that are parasitic in the large intestine of horses and have larvae which wander in the viscera and sometimes lodge in the intestinal blood vessels causing colic or more rarely a fatal aneurysm

called also palisade worm, red worm