Filaria \Fi*la"ri*a\, n.; pl. {filariae}. [NL., fr. L. filum a
thread.] (Zool.)
a small, slender nematode worm of the family {Onchocercidae}
({Filariidae}) of many species, parasitic when adult in
various animals, including man. They may live within the
blood, or in other bodily fluids, or within tissues or
cavities of the body. Infection with such organisms may be
transmitted by blood-sucking arthropods.
[1913 Webster +PJC]