The central unpaired holdfast organ of the tick capitulum; the h. is covered with recurved spines that enable it to serve as an anchoring device while the tick feeds. [hypo- + G. stoma, mouth]
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hy·po·stome 'hī-pə-.stōm n a rodlike organ that arises at the base of the beak in various mites and ticks
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hy·po·stome (hiґpo-stōm) [hypo- + stoma] any of several structures, parts, or organs found in association with the mouth in various organisms; e.g., the rodlike piercing mouth part, sometimes with spines or teeth, used by certain ticks and mites to thrust into and hold firmly onto the tissues of a prey or host.Medical dictionary. 2011.