Digenea

Subclass of parasitic flatworms (class Trematoda) characterized by a complex life cycle involving developmental multiplying stages in a mollusk intermediate host, an adult stage in a vertebrate, and often involving an additional transport host or an additional intermediate host; includes all of the common flukes of humans and other mammals. [G. di-, two, + genesis, generation]

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Di·ge·nea dī-'jē-nē-ə n pl a subclass, suborder, or other taxon of trematode worms which have a complex life cycle involving alternation of sexual reproduction as an internal parasite of a vertebrate with asexual reproduction in a mollusk and often including developmental stages in still other hosts and which include a number of parasites (as the Chinese liver fluke) of humans compare MONOGENEA

di·ge·ne·an -ən adj or n