Pronunciation: met′ă-ser-kar′ē-ă, -ē
Definition: The postcercarial encysted stage in the life history of a fluke, before transfer to the definitive host. Some cercariae attach themselves to grass or other vegetation, form metacercaria, and later are ingested by herbivores, as in Fasciola and similar forms; others encyst in muscles of fish, as in Clonorchis, or in crayfish, as in Paragonimus.
[meta- + G. kerkos, tail]
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Examples: glitazone, GI cocktail, etc.