HOW TO PRONOUNCE
worm
/wɝm/
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American Pronunciation Guide · 1:03
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What does worm mean?
noun
- A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm.
- More loosely, any of various tubular invertebrates resembling annelids but not closely related to them, such as velvet worms, acorn worms, flatworms, or roundworms. See Appendix:English worms.
- A contemptible or devious being.
More meanings (28)
noun
- A self-replicating program that propagates through a network by copying itself, differing from a virus which seeks to propagate by inserting its code into other executable files.
- A graphical representation of the total runs scored across a number of overs.
- Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.
- A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.
- The spiral wire of a corkscrew.
- A muscular band in the tongue of some animals, such as dogs; the lytta.
- The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to save space.
- A short revolving screw whose threads drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel or rack by gearing into its teeth.
- (figuratively) An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one’s mind with remorse.
- A strip of linked tiles sharing parallel edges in a tiling.
- The lytta.
- A dance, or dance move, in which the dancer lies on the floor and undulates the body horizontally thereby moving forwards.
- Initialism of write once, read many.
- (archaic) Any creeping or crawling animal, such as a snake (cf. “dragon”; blindworm, slowworm, “legless lizard”), snail, or caterpillar.
- (archaic, informal) A maggot or any other insect larva with similar shape and behavior.
- (archaic) A dragon, today especially Germanic dragon, more often of the serpentine or wingless type, for example sea serpent, but also any kind of dragon.
- (archaic) Either a mythical "dragon" (especially wingless), a gigantic sea serpent, or a creature that resembles a Mongolian death worm.
verb
- To make (one's way) with a crawling motion.
- To move with one's body dragging the ground.
- (figuratively) To work one's way by artful or devious means.
- (figuratively) To work (one's way or oneself) (into) gradually or slowly; to insinuate.
- To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means.
- (figuratively) To drag out of, to get information that someone is reluctant or unwilling to give (through artful or devious means or by pleading or asking repeatedly).
- To fill in the contlines of (a rope) before parcelling and serving.
- To deworm (an animal).
- To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of (a dog, etc.) for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw, and formerly supposed to guard against canine madness.
- To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a firearm.
proper noun
- A surname.
Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0
IPA pronunciation
/wɝm/
Wiktionary contributors · CC BY-SA 4.0 ↗Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.
In the pages of books
See this word in context.
One morning, as the flowers awoke, Fragrant, and fresh, and fair, A little worm came creeping by, And begged a shelter there.
This time he turned and ran three or four steps to the right, where he pulled another worm out of the ground.
More book examples (3)
Paper filters used to make drip coffee may be put into the heap or worm box where they contribute to the bedding.
Very naturally, this currant worm made its debut near Rochester, N. Y., a great fruit centre, receiving annually large importations of plants.
One method of expelling the worm has been adopted which has rarely failed, without the slightest mischief--the administration of glass finely powdered.