worm

English

Etymology

From Middle English worm < Old English wyrm (serpent, dragon, worm) < Proto-Germanic *wurmiz < Proto-Indo-European *wrmi-/*wrmo- (serpent, scorpion, maggot, worm), possibly from PIE base *wer- (to turn).

Pronunciation

• RP: , Template:SAMPA
• US: Template:AHD, , Template:SAMPA

• noicon

  (file)

  Rhymes: -ɜː(r)m

Noun

worm (plural worms)

1. A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum.
2. A contemptible or devious being.

   Don't try to run away, you little worm!

3. Template:computing A self-replicating program that propagates widely through a network.
4. Template:cricket A graphical representation of the total runs scored in an innings.
5. Something spiral, especially the thread of a screw.
6. Template:archaic A dragon or mythological serpent.
7. An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one's mind with remorse.
   • William Shakespeare — The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul!

Translations

animal

• Arabic: دُودَة (dúːda) sg, دُودٌ (duːd) |, دِيدَان (didáːn) |
• Bosnian: crv
• Bulgarian: червей (červej)
• Catalan: cuc
• Chinese: 蟲 (chóng)
• Czech: červ
• Dutch: worm , pier
• Estonian: uss
• Finnish: mato
• French: ver
• German: Wurm
• Greek: σκώληξ (skólix)
• Hebrew: תולע (tolah)
• Hungarian: kukac
• Indonesian: cacing
• Italian: verme

• Japanese: 虫 (むし, mushí), 虫螻 (むしけら, mushikera)
• Korean: 벌레 (beolle)
• Latin: vermis
• Latvian tārps
• Lithuanian: kirmėlė Template:f; kirminas (also means insect larvae)
• Maori: noke, toke
• Polish: robak
• Portuguese: verme
• Romanian: vierme
• Russian: червь (červ') , черви (čérvi) |
• Slovene: črv
• Spanish: gusano
• Swedish: mask
• Telugu: పురుగు (purugu)
• Thai: Template:THchar (nááwn)
• Turkish: kurt

contemptible being

• Arabic: Template:ARchar (šáχʂun dániʔ)
• Bulgarian: негодник (negodnik) , жалко същество (žalko säštestvo) Template:n
• Czech: ubožák
• Dutch: worm
• Finnish: luihu
• French: vermine Template:f, scarabée
• German: elender Wurm
• Hebrew: נבזה (nivzeh)

• Italian: miserabile m and f
• Korean: 비열한 인간 (biyeolhan ingan)
• Portuguese: miserável m and f, patife
• Russian: стерва (stérva) m and f, негодяй (negodjáj) , негодяйка (negodjájka) Template:f
• Spanish: gusano
• Swedish: stackare , kräk Template:n
• Ukrainian: негідник (nehidnik)

self-replicating program

• Dutch: worm
• Finnish: mato
• French: ver

• German: Wurm
• Italian: verme

cricket term Template:mid

something spiral, especially the thread of a screw

• Dutch: draad
• Finnish: jengat plural, kierre

• German: Gewinde Template:n

dragon or mythological serpent Template:mid

internal tormentor Template:mid

Verb

worm (third-person singular simple present worms, present participle worming, simple past and past participle wormed)

1. Template:intransitive To move with one's body dragging the ground.

   We wormed our way through the underbrush.

2. Template:intransitive Template:figuratively To get (into) in a devious way.

   He wormed his way into the organization

   Template:intransitive To work through something slowly or gradually.

3. Template:intransitive Template:nautical To fill in the contlines of a rope before parcelling and serving.

   Worm and parcel with the lay; turn and serve the other way.

Translations

to move with one's body dragging the ground

• Dutch: zich wurmen
• Finnish: madella
• French: ramper

to get (into) in a devious way

• Dutch: zich wurmen

to work through something slowly or gradually

• Dutch: zich wurmen

Derived terms

• blindworm
• bookworm
• the early bird catches the worm
• earthworm
• fishing worm
• flatworm
• glowworm
• lugworm

• ringworm
• silkworm
• slowworm
• tapeworm
• woodworm
• wormhole
• wormwood
• wormy

See also

• grub
• maggot
• Trojan horse

• vermiform
• virus