n.
Pronunciation: ˌ ä ŋ -k ō - ˌ s ə r- ' k ī - ə -s ə s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -a · ses \ - ˌ s ē z \
Etymology: New Latin, from Onchocerca, genus of worms
Date: 1911
: infestation with or disease caused by filarial worms (genus Onchocerca ) especially : a human disease marked by subcutaneous nodules, dermatitis, and visual impairment and caused by a worm ( O. volvulus ) found in Africa and tropical America which is transmitted by the bite of a female blackfly ― called also river blindness