mullygrub
/ˈmʌlɪɡrʌb
/(also mulligrub)
noun Australian /NZ
A grub, especially a witchetty grub: we’d dig in the fowl yard for mullygrubs to feed to the hens...
- A swat that would squash a housefly to a mullygrub will barely faze a deerfly.
- I fished in the river for yellow belly perch, using mulligrubs or worms for bait.
- The tiny ant can pull many times his weight; I have seen them pull mullygrubs at least two hundred times their size.
Origin
Early 20th century: perhaps from dialect mully-grub-gurgeon 'a grub that feeds on coarse meal'. Compare with mulligrub.