fə̇ˈla(a)rēə noun
Etymology: New Latin, from Latin filum + New Latin -aria
1. plural filar·i·ae -ēˌē, -ˌī : any of an important group of slender filamentous nematodes that as adults are parasites in the blood or tissues of mammals and as larvae usually develop in biting insects, that belong to the Filariidae and related families, and that for the most part were once included in the genus Filaria and are now divided among various genera (as Wuchereria and Onchocerca )
2. capitalized : the type genus of Filariidae