Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense worms, present participle worming, past tense, past participle wormed
1. countable noun
A worm is a small animal with a long thin body, no bones and no legs.
2. plural noun
If animals or people have worms, worms are living in their intestines.
3. verb
If you worm an animal, you give it medicine in order to kill the worms that are living in itsintestines.
I worm all my birds in early spring. [VERB noun]
All adult dogs are routinely wormed at least every six months. [beVERB-ed]
4. verb
If you worm your way somewhere, you move there with difficulty, twisting or bending your body or making it narrow.
I had to worm my way out sideways from the bench in a ridiculous, undignified fashion. [Vway adv/prep]
The kitten wormed its way through the just-open door. [Vway adv/prep]
5. verb
If you say that someone is worming their way to success, or is worming their way into someone else's affection, you disapprove of the way that they are gradually making someone trust them or like them, often in order to deceive them or gain some advantage.
[disapproval]
She never misses a chance to worm her way into the public's hearts. [VERB noun preposition/adverb]
Everyone knows people who have wormed their way up on old school connections. [VERBway preposition/adverb]
6. singular noun
If you call a person a worm, you are insulting them by saying that they have a very weak or unpleasant character and you have no respect for them.
[disapproval]
7. countable noun
A worm is a computer program that contains a virus which duplicates itself many times ina network.
[computing]
8.
See a can of worms
9.
See the worm turns
Phrasal verbs:
See worm out of
worm in British English
(wɜːm)
noun
1.
any of various invertebrates, esp the annelids (earthworms, etc), nematodes (roundworms), and flatworms, having a slender elongated body
▶ Related adjective: vermicular
2.
any of various insect larvae having an elongated body, such as the silkworm and wireworm
3.
any of various unrelated animals that resemble annelids, nematodes, etc, such as the glow-worm and shipworm
4.
a gnawing or insinuating force or agent that torments or slowly eats away
5.
a wretched or spineless person
6.
anything that resembles a worm in appearance or movement
7.
a shaft on which a helical groove has been cut, as in a gear arrangement in which such a shaft meshes with a toothed wheel
8.
a spiral pipe cooled by air or flowing water, used as a condenser in a still
9. a nontechnical name for lytta
10. anatomy
any wormlike organ, structure, or part, such as the middle lobe of the cerebellum (vermis cerebelli)
Technical name: vermis
11. computing
a program that duplicates itself many times in a network and prevents its destruction. It often carries a logic bomb or virus
verb
12.
to move, act, or cause to move or act with the slow sinuous movement of a worm
13. (foll byin, into, out of, etc)
to make (one's way) slowly and stealthily; insinuate (oneself)
14. (tr; often foll by out of or from)
to extract (information, a secret, etc) from by persistent questioning
15. (transitive)
to free from or purge of worms
16. (transitive) nautical
to wind yarn around (a rope) so as to fill the spaces between the strands and render the surface smooth for parcelling and serving
Derived forms
wormer (ˈwormer)
noun
wormlike (ˈwormˌlike) or wormish (ˈwormish)
adjective
Word origin
Old English wyrm; related to Old Frisian wirm, Old High German wurm, Old Norse ormr, Gothic waurms, Latin vermis, Greek romos woodworm
WORM in British English
(wɜːm) computing
noun acronym for
write once read many times: an optical disk that enables users to store data but not change it
worm in American English
(wɜrm)
noun
1.
any of many slender, soft-bodied animals, some segmented, that live by burrowing underground, in water, or as parasites, including the annelids, nemerteans, nematodes, platyhelminths, acanthocephalans, and gordian worms
2. Popularly
a.
an insect larva, as a caterpillar, grub, or maggot
b.
any of several mollusks, as the shipworms
c.
any of various wormlike animals, as a rotifer or a blindworm
d. Obsolete
a snake, or serpent
3.
an abject, wretched, or contemptible person
4.
something that gnaws or distresses one inwardly, suggesting a parasitic worm
the worm of conscience
5.
something thought of as being wormlike because of its spiral shape, etc.
; specif.,
a.
the thread of a screw
b.
the coil of a still
c.
an Archimedean screw or similar apparatus
d.
a short, rotating screw that meshes with the teeth of a worm gear or a rack
6. Anatomy
any organ or part resembling a worm, as the vermiform process
7. Computing
an unauthorized, disruptive program, typically spread through communication lines, that creates copies of itself, thereby depleting a disk's or system's available memory
cf. virus (sense 4)
8. [pl.]; Medicine
any disease or disorder caused by the presence of parasitic worms in the intestines, etc.
9. Zoology
lytta
verb intransitive
10.
to move, proceed, etc. like a worm, in a winding, creeping, or devious manner
verb transitive
11.
to bring about, make, etc. in a winding, creeping, or devious manner
to worm one's way through a tunnel
12.
to insinuate (oneself) into a situation, conversation, etc.
13.
to extract (information, secrets, etc.) by insinuation, cajolery, or subtle questioning
14.
to purge of intestinal worms
15. Nautical
to wind yarn or small rope around (a rope or cable), filling the spaces between the strands
16. US
to rid (tobacco plants) of worms or grubs
Idioms:
can of worms
Derived forms
wormer (ˈwormer)
noun
wormlike (ˈwormˌlike)
adjective
Word origin
ME < OE wyrm, serpent, dragon, akin to Ger wurm < IE base *wer-, to turn, bend > warp, L vermis, worm
More idioms containing
worm
the early bird catches the worm
the worm has turned
Examples of 'worm' in a sentence
worm
You know, the one who catches the worm.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The kidneys were infected with a parasitic worm.
The Sun (2014)
They pass on a parasitic worm that grows and grows and then breeds other worms underthe skin.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Do this early in the day when the weather is drying to spread worm casts and dry the grass.
The Sun (2012)
Friends think they are slow worms.
The Sun (2013)
Ensure that the soil is moist, as this will help the worms to move around.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Yes, the early bird catches the worm.
The Sun (2015)
They typically live on insects, worms and snails.
The Sun (2008)
Thousands of bacteria, viruses and worms live here.
The Sun (2011)
There is a good reason for this: the early bird gets the worm.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
When it comes to the high street, the early bird catches the fashionable worm.
The Sun (2013)
Some of these melodies and harmonies are so huge it's an insult to call them ear worms.
The Sun (2014)
A worm wheel cannot drive a worm gear.
Chapman, C. & Horsley, M. & Small, E. Technology Basic Facts (1990)
ARE slow worms a problem in the garden?
The Sun (2011)
Is there a chemical to stop worm casts ruining my lawn?
The Sun (2011)
The simplest and most important trick is to feed them generously - and that means encouraging insects and worms.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I defy anyone to resist the small worm of anxiety in the pit of the stomach at that moment.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Usually the worms cause no symptoms, although the larvae which mature in the lungs can lead to a dry cough.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
They can squeeze between and push apart the soil crumbs, and one worm alone can move a stone fifty times its own weight.
Thompkins, Peter, Bird, Christopher Secrets of the Soil (1990)
Conditions recorded included viruses, worms, and both fungal and bacterial infections.
The Sun (2011)
This would open a constitutional can of worms, particularly given how unpopular the monarchy is in Quebec.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
Making the soil more acidic can help drive away the worms (and the moles with them).
The Sun (2010)
Word lists with
worm
Types of invertebrate
In other languages
worm
British English: worm /wɜːm/ NOUN
A worm is a small thin animal without bones or legs which lives in the soil.
American English: worm
Arabic: دُودَة
Brazilian Portuguese: minhoca
Chinese: 蠕虫
Croatian: crv
Czech: červ
Danish: orm
Dutch: worm
European Spanish: gusano
Finnish: mato
French: ver
German: Wurm
Greek: γαιοσκώληκας
Italian: verme
Japanese: 虫
Korean: 지렁이
Norwegian: mark
Polish: robak
European Portuguese: minhoca
Romanian: vierme
Russian: червь
Latin American Spanish: gusano
Swedish: mask kräldjur
Thai: หนอน
Turkish: solucan
Ukrainian: черв'як
Vietnamese: con giun
All related terms of 'worm'
army worm
any of the larvae of certain noctuid moths , esp. of the moth ( Pseudaletia unipuncta ) of which the caterpillar is dark-striped green and yellow: these larvae travel in large groups, ruining crops and grass
dew-worm
any large earthworm that is found on the ground at night and is used as fishing bait
fan worm
any tube-dwelling polychaete worm of the family Sabellidae , having long tentacles that spread into a fan when the worm emerges from its tube
glow-worm
A glow-worm is a type of beetle which produces light from its body.
red worm
→ bloodworm
worm gear
a device consisting of a threaded shaft ( worm ) that mates with a gearwheel ( worm wheel ) so that rotary motion can be transferred between two shafts at right angles to each other
worm moon
a traditional name for a full moon occurring in March
acorn worm
any of various small burrowing marine animals of the genus Balanoglossus and related genera, having an elongated wormlike body with an acorn-shaped eversible proboscis at the head end: subphylum Hemichordata ( hemichordates )
caddis worm
the wormlike larva of the caddis fly that usually lives in fresh water in an elongated case made of twigs , grains of sand, etc. cemented together with silk that it secretes : commonly used as bait by anglers
Guinea worm
a parasitic nematode worm , Dracunculus medinensis, that lives beneath the skin in humans and other vertebrates and is common in India and Africa
mopani worm
an edible caterpillar that feeds on mopani leaves
paddle worm
any of a family of green-blue faintly iridescent active marine polychaete worms of the genus Phyllodoce, having paddle-shaped swimming lobes , found under stones on the shore
palmer worm
the hairy black and white caterpillar of the goldtail moth
palolo worm
any of several polychaete worms of the family Eunicidae, esp Eunice viridis, of the S Pacific Ocean : reproductive segments are shed from the posterior end of the body when breeding
ribbon worm
→ nemertean
tongue worm
a parasitic worm , Linguatula serrata , found in the nose of dogs , so called because of the shape of the worm
white worm
an active carnivorous polychaete worm, Nephthys hombergii, that is about 10cm (4in) long, having a pearly sheen to its body: often dug for bait
worm drive
a gear arrangement in which a worm meshes with a worm gear
worm-eaten
eaten into by worms
worm fence
→ Virginia (rail) fence
worm lizard
any wormlike burrowing legless lizard of the family Amphisbaenidae, of Africa, South and Central America, and S Europe
worm powder
a powder given to animals to eradicate parasitic worms
worm snake
any of a superfamily (Typhlopoidea) of wormlike, nonpoisonous snakes with vestigial eyes
worm wheel
→ worm gear (sense 1 )
bladder worm
an encysted saclike larva of the tapeworm . The main types are cysticercus , hydatid , and coenurus
bootlace worm
a nemertean worm , Lineus longissimus , that inhabits shingly shores and attains lengths of over 6 m (20 ft)
bristle worm
any marine annelid worm of the class Polychaeta, having a distinct head and paired fleshy appendages ( parapodia ) that bear bristles ( chaetae or setae ) and are used in swimming: includes the lugworms , ragworms , and sea mice
gordian worm
any of a phylum (Nematomorpha) of long, thin, worms parasitic in insects when immature and free-swimming as adults; horsehair worm
nematode worm
any unsegmented worm of the phylum (or class) Nematoda, having a tough outer cuticle . The group includes free-living forms and disease-causing parasites , such as the hookworm and filaria
railroad worm
the larva of a fruit fly, Rhagoletis pomonella , that burrows through apples , forming tunnels that sometimes appear on the skin as faint depressions or darkened trails : a serious pest of apples in colder regions of North America
stomach worm
any of various nematode worms that are parasitic in the stomach of mammals, esp Haemonchus contortus, which infests sheep : family Trichostrongylidae
vinegar worm
a nematode worm , Anguillula aceti, that feeds on the organisms that cause fermentation in vinegar and other liquids
worm conveyor
a duct along which material is conveyed by the rotational action of a spiral vane which lies along the length of the duct
horsehair worm
→ gordian worm
measuring worm
the larva of a geometrid moth : it has legs on its front and rear segments only and moves in a series of loops
worm out of
If you worm information out of someone, you gradually find it out by constantly asking them about it.
fall army worm
the caterpillar of a widely distributed noctuid moth, Spodoptera frugiperda, which travels in vast hordes and is a serious pest of cereal crops in tropical regions of the western hemisphere
the worm turns
If you say that the worm turns , you mean that someone who usually obeys another person or accepts their bad behaviour unexpectedly starts resisting that person or expresses their anger .
African army worm
the caterpillar of a widely distributed noctuid moth, Spodoptera exempta, which travels in vast hordes and is a serious pest of cereal crops and grasses in Africa and parts of Australia
spiny-headed worm
→ acanthocephalan
worm's eye view
a view seen from below or from a more lowly or humble point
tubeworm
any of various polychaete worms that construct and live in a tube made of sand , lime , etc
tomato hornworm
a hawk moth ( Manduca quinquemaculata ) whose large, green caterpillar feeds on tomato plants
a worm's eye view
an impression of what is happening in a situation from the point of view of someone who has a low status , or is considered inferior in some way
the worm has turned
said to mean that someone who has tolerated a lot of bad treatment from other people without complaining unexpectedly changes their behaviour and starts to behave in a more forceful way
tobacco hornworm
a hawk moth ( Manduca sexta ) whose large, green caterpillar feeds on the leaves of tobacco plants
worming powder
a powder given to animals to eradicate parasitic worms
phoronid
a small, wormlike marine animal which usually lives in the mud of the sea bottom and is hermaphrodite
the early bird catches the worm
If you say that the early bird catches the worm , you mean that the person who arrives first in a place is most likely to get what they want .
snake fence
a fence made of rails interlocked in a zigzag pattern
Chinese translation of 'worm'
worm
(wəːm)
n(c)
(also earthworm) 蚯蚓 (qiūyǐn) (只, zhī)
(Comput) 蠕虫(蟲)病毒 (rúchóng bìngdú)
vt
给(給) ... 驱(驅)肠(腸)虫(蟲) (gěi ... qū chángchóng)
to have worms患有寄生虫(蟲)病 (huànyǒu jìshēngchóng bìng)
to worm one's way into sth[position]费(費)尽(盡)心机(機)地钻(鑽)入某处(處) (fèijǐn xīnjī de zuānrù mǒuchù) [sb's affections]千方百计(計)地获(獲)取某事 (qiān fāng bǎi jì de huòqǔ mǒushì)
to worm sth out of sb从(從)某人口中慢慢探出某事 (cóng mǒurén kǒu zhōng mànmàn tànchū mǒushì)