Vermifuges

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A class of substances used to expel parasitic worms from the body
2. Agents that eliminate intestinal worms, aiding in treatment against infestations
3. Medications specifically formulated to eradicate various types of helminths from the gastrointestinal tract

Etymology: Vermifuge is built from Latin "vermis", meaning "worm", and "fugare", "to put to flight", the same verb that gives English "fugitive" and "refuge" through different routes. Put together, the literal sense is "worm-driver" or "worm-chaser," which is exactly what these medicines do: they drive intestinal worms out of the body. The word is a plain technical coinage rather than an ancient one. Medieval and early modern physicians had their own vocabulary for worm remedies, but the Latin-based compound was built from classical parts to name a category of drugs, so the Romans themselves never used it. Its plural, "vermifuges," is simply the standard form for a noun naming a class of substances, and it is used the same way in pharmacology and veterinary medicine today.

Synonyms: dewormers