Wurm

See also: wurm

German

Etymology

From Old High German wurm, from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz, from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis. Compare (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Dutch and English worm, West Frisian wjirm, Danish orm, Gothic 𐍅𐌰𐌿𐍂𐌼𐍃 (waurms).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /vʊrm/, [vʊʁm], [vʊɐ̯m], [ʋ-]

• Audio:

  (file)

Noun

Wurm m or n (genitive Wurmes or Wurms, plural Würmer or Würme, diminutive Würmchen n or Würmlein n)

1. (biology) worm
2. (informal) maggot, grub
3. (archaic) any crawling animal, e.g. a reptile
4. (poetic, heraldry) dragon, lindworm, wyrm
5. (computing) worm
6. (colloquial, endearing) a baby or small child; a mite; any helpless creature

Usage notes

• The word is generally masculine in all senses. When meaning “baby, mite”, it may alternatively be neuter.
• The normal plural is Würmer. The form Würme is archaic; it might still see some usage in the heraldic sense.

Declension

• Rare neuter form:

• Archaic plural:

Synonyms

• (crawling animal): Kriechtier
• (dragon): Drache, Lindwurm

Derived terms

• Bandwurm
• Bücherwurm
• der frühe Vogel fängt den Wurm
• Fadenwurm
• Glühwürmchen
• Holzwurm
• Madenwurm
• Ohrwurm
• Regenwurm
• Saugwurm
• Spulwurm
• Tatzelwurm
• Wurmloch
• Wurmschraube