worm
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /wɜːm/
enpr: wûrm
ipa: /wɝm/
rhymes: -ɜː(ɹ)m
homophone: wyrm
Forms: form: worms
Etymology: From Middle English worm, werm, wurm, wirm, from Old English wyrm (“worm, snake”), from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis, possibly from *wer- (“to turn”). Doublet of vermin and wyrm, the latter of which is a fairly recent borrowing directly from the Old English.
(computing): First computer usage by John Brunner in his 1975 book The Shockwave Rider.
Cognates
Germanic cognates include Dutch worm, West Frisian wjirm, German Wurm, Swedish orm (“snake”), Norwegian Nynorsk orm (“earthworm or snake”), Danish orm and Yiddish וואָרעם (vorem).
Indo-European cognates include Latin vermis (“worm”), Lithuanian var̃mas (“insect, midge”), Albanian rrime (“rainworm”), Ancient Greek ῥόμος (rhómos, “woodworm”).
Senses: examples: text: ‘Children crawled over each other like little grey worms in the gutters,’ he said. ‘The only red things about them were their buttocks and they were raw. Their faces looked as if snails had slimed on them and their mothers were like great sick beasts whose byres had never been cleared.[…]’
ref: 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 7, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
glosses: A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm.
examples: text: Leaning that I might eat, I stretched and clung
Over the shapeless depth in which those corpses hung.
A woman’s shape, now lank and cold and blue,
The dwelling of the many-coloured worm,
Hung there […]
ref: 1817 December, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “The Revolt of Islam. […]”, in [Mary] Shelley, editor, The Poetical Works of Percy Bysshe Shelley. […], volume I, London: Edward Moxon […], published 1839, →OCLC, page 216:
glosses: More loosely, any of various tubular invertebrates resembling annelids but not closely related to them, such as velvet worms, acorn worms, flatworms, or roundworms.
examples: text: 1561, Geneva Bible, Acts 28:3-4,
And when Paul had gathered a nomber of stickes, & laid them on the fyre, there came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his hand. Now when the Barbarians sawe the worme hang on his hand, they said among them selues This man surely is a murtherer, whome, thogh he hathe escaped the sea, yet Vengeance hathe not suffred to liue.
text: […] No, ’tis slander,
Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue
Outvenoms all the worms of Nile […]
ref: 1611 April (first recorded performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Cymbeline”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene iv]:
text: When Cerberus perceived us, the great worm!
His mouth he opened and displayed his tusks;
Not a limb had he that was motionless.
ref: 1867, Dante Alighieri, “The Divine Comedy”, in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, transl., Inferno, volume I, Boston: Ticknor & Fields, Canto 6, lines 22-24, p. 35:
glosses: Any creeping or crawling animal, such as a snake, snail, or caterpillar.
examples: text: In the Cross of Cong (A.D. 1123) the Celtic inter-laced patterns are found side by side with the "worm-dragon" ornament ..
ref: 1922, A. Walsh, Scandinavian Relations with Ireland during the Viking Period:
text: Indeed the allusion to the more renowned worm killed by the Wælsing is sufficient indication that the poet selected a dragon of well-founded purpose[.]
ref: 1936, J. R. R. Tolkien, Beowulf: The Monsters and the Critics, Norwood, Pa.: Norwood Editions, published 1976, page 9:
text: The after fifty years a foul worm, a dragon, took it upon itself to hold sway through the heavens at night.
ref: 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 39:
glosses: A type of wingless "dragon", especially a gigantic sea serpent or any kind of dragon.
topics: fantasy
literature
media
publishing
science-fiction
glosses: A type of wingless "dragon", especially a gigantic sea serpent or any kind of dragon.
Either a mythical "dragon" (especially wingless), a gigantic sea serpent, or a creature that resembles a Mongolian death worm.
examples: text: Don't try to run away, you little worm!
text: But I am a worme, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 22:6:
text: Would he devote that Sacred Head / For ſuch a Worm as I?
ref: 1707, Isaac Watts, “Godly Sorrow ariſing from the Sufferings of Chriſt”, in Hymns and Spiritual Songs, London: J. Humfreys, page 86:
glosses: A contemptible or devious being.
examples: text: When Trevor opened his email, a worm spread to 100 people in his address book.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: A self-replicating program that propagates through a network, differing from a virus in usually lacking any destructive effects.
topics: ball-games
cricket
games
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: A graphical representation of the total runs scored across a number of overs.
examples: text: If the Worms of the Nut or Spindle be worn, the Spindle must be examin'd by the Smith
ref: 1683, Joseph Moxon, Mechanick exercises:
glosses: Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
glosses: Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.
glosses: Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
The spiral wire of a corkscrew.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
A muscular band in the tongue of some animals, such as dogs; the lytta.
glosses: Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to save space.
glosses: Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
A short revolving screw whose threads drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel or rack by gearing into its teeth.
examples: text: Food for the worms.
glosses: A maggot.
examples: text: The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul!
ref: c. 1593 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedy of Richard the Third: […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii]:
glosses: An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one’s mind with remorse.
topics: mathematics
sciences
glosses: A strip of linked tiles sharing parallel edges in a tiling.
topics: anatomy
medicine
sciences
glosses: The lytta.
qualifier: preceded by definite article
glosses: A dance, or dance move, in which the dancer lies on the floor and undulates the body horizontally thereby moving forwards.
Derived terms: sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: anchor worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: angleworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: antiworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: apple worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: armyworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: army worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: army-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: arrow worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: arrowworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Asian jumping worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: backworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bagworm*
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bankrupt worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: basketworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: beard worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: beetworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: blackworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bladderworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bladder worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
taxonomic: Anguis fragilis
word: blindworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: blood worm*
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Bobbit worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bollworm*
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bone-eating snot flower worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: book-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bookworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: book worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bootlace worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: brain worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: brainworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: brain-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: bristle worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: budworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: buffalo worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: burp the worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: butt worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: buzzworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: cabbage worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: caddisworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: caddis worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: cankerworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: caseworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: catworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Christmas tree worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: clam worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: cockworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: coconut worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: common glow-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: coneworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: copperworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: cornworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: cotton worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: cryptoworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
taxonomic: Noctuidae spp.
word: cutworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: deepwater big-eyed worm eel
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: deworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: dewworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: dragon worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: dropworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: early bird catches the worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
english: Lumbricina
translation: Lumbricina
word: earthworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ear worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ear-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: earworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: eelworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: eigenworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: even a worm will turn
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: eyeworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: feather duster worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: fireworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: fishing worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: fishworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: flagworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
english: phylum Platyhelminthes
translation: phylum Platyhelminthes
word: flatworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: fleshworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: flukeworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: fruitworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: galley worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: galley-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: gapeworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: giant thorny-headed worm of swine
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: giant tube worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: glow-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: glowworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: gnatworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: goblet worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Gordian worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: gourdworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Grindal worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: grindal worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: groundworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: grubworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: grugru worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: guinea worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: guinea-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Guinea worm disease
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: gummy worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: gun worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: hairworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
taxonomic: Dirofilaria immitis
word: heartworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: herring worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: hookworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: hornworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: horsehair worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: horseshoe worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: horseworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ice worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: inchworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: innkeeper worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: jaw worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: jointworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: jumping worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: juniper worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: leafworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: leaf-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: lob-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: lob worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: lugworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: lungworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: maltworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: mango worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: mason worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: maw worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: maw-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: mealworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: mealworm beetle
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: measuring worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: melonworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: miner's worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Mongolian death worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Moser's worm problem
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: muckworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: mudworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: nanoworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: oh worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: palisade worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: palmerworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: palmer worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: palmer-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: palmworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: palolo worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: parchment worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: peacock worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: peanut worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: penis worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: phlox worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: pickleworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: pileworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: pillworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: pinworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: polystyrene worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Pompeii worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: potato worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: potworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: proboscis worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ragworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: railroad worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: rainworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: redworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: red worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ribbon worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ringed worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: ringworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: rootworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: rope worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: roseworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: roundworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: rye-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: sand mason worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: sand tube worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: sandworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: screwworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: seatworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: sea worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: segmented worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: shipworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: silkworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: skin worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: slow worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: slow-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: slugworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: sour worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spaghetti worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spanworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spindleworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spiny-headed worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spiral worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spoonworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: spoon worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: stagworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: stomach worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: stoor worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: strawworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: superworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tank-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tapeworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tape-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: the early bird catches the worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: the early bird gets the worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: the worm has turned
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: thorny worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: threadworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: thunderworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tomato worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tongueworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tongue worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tree worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: trematode worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tube worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: tubeworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: waxworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: webworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wheal-worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wheatworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: whipworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: white worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: whiteworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wiggle worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: winter worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wireworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: witworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wolf worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: woodworm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: woolly worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormable
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm and wheel
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormball
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm ball
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm bark
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm burner
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormcast
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm cast
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm castle
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm charming
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-eaten
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-eating warbler
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormer
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormery
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm fence
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm fever
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormfish
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-food
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm food
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormfowl
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm gear
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormgrass
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormhole
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormhood
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormicide
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm in the apple
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormish
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormless
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormlet
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormlike
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-like
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormling
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormlion
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm lizard
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormly
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm month
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm moon
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm oil
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm on a string
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm out
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm pick
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormproof
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm red
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-ridden
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormridden
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormroot
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormseed
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-shell
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm shell
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormship
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormshit
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormskin
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm snake
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm-star
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm tea
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm turns
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm wheel
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormwood
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Wormworld
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wormy
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm’s-eye view
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: worm’s eye view
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: wug
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: Y worm
sense: terms derived from worm (noun)
word: zombie worm