First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1worm
noun, often attributive \ˈwərm\
: a long, thin animal that has a soft body with no legs or bones and that often lives in the ground
: the young form of some insects that looks like a small worm
: a person who is not liked or respected : a very bad person
Full Definition of WORM
1
a : earthworm; broadly : an annelid worm b : any of numerous relatively small elongated usually naked and soft-bodied animals (as a grub, pinworm, tapeworm, shipworm, or slowworm)
2
a : a human being who is an object of contempt, loathing, or pity : wretch b : something that torments or devours from within
4
: helminthiasis —usually used in plural
5
: something (as a mechanical device) spiral or vermiculate in form or appearance: as a : the thread of a screw b : a short revolving screw whose threads gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or a rack c : archimedes' screw; also : a conveyor working on the principle of such a screw
6
: a usually small self-contained and self-replicating computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a destructive action
— worm·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
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Origin of WORM
Middle English, from Old English wyrm serpent, worm; akin to Old High German wurm serpent, worm, Latin vermis worm
Other Invertebrates (Except Insects) Terms
2worm
verb
: to move or proceed by twisting and turning
: to give (an animal) medicine that destroys the small worms that live inside it and cause illness
Full Definition of WORM
intransitive verb
: to move or proceed sinuously or insidiously
transitive verb
1
a : to proceed or make (one's way) insidiously or deviously <worm their way into positions of power — Bill Franzen> b : to insinuate or introduce (oneself) by devious or subtle means c : to cause to move or proceed in or as if in the manner of a worm
2
: to wind rope or yarn spirally round and between the strands of (a cable or rope) before serving
3
: to obtain or extract by artful or insidious questioning or by pleading, asking, or persuading —usually used with out of <finally wormed the truth out of him>
4
: to treat (an animal) with a drug to destroy or expel parasitic worms
See worm defined for English-language learners
First Known Use of WORM
1610
WORMLIKE Defined for Kids
1worm
noun \ˈwərm\
Definition of WORM for Kids
1
: a usually long creeping or crawling animal (as a tapeworm) that has a soft body
2
3
: a person hated or pitied
4
worms plural : infection caused by parasitic worms living in the body <a dog with worms>
— worm·like \-ˌlīk\ adjective
2worm
verb
wormedworm·ing
Definition of WORM for Kids
1
: to move slowly by creeping or wriggling <She rolled on her back, her tears worming down her face into her ears. — Pam Muñoz Ryan, Esperanza Rising>
2
: to get hold of or escape from by trickery <I tried to worm my way out of trouble.> <… the doctor had wormed this secret from him … — Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island>
3
: to rid of parasitic worms
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