worm

1 of 2

noun

often attributive
1
a
: earthworm
broadly : an annelid worm
b
: any of numerous relatively small elongated usually naked and soft-bodied animals (such as a grub, pinworm, tapeworm, shipworm, or slowworm)
2
a
: a human being who is an object of contempt, loathing, or pity : wretch
b
: something that torments or devours from within
3
archaic : snake, serpent
4
: helminthiasis
usually used in plural
5
: something (such as a mechanical device) spiral or vermiculate in form or appearance: such as
a
: the thread of a screw
b
: a short revolving screw whose threads gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or a rack
c
: archimedes' screw
also : a conveyor working on the principle of such a screw
6
: a usually small self-contained and self-replicating computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a destructive action
wormlike adjective

worm

2 of 2

verb

wormed; worming; worms

intransitive verb

: to move or proceed sinuously or insidiously

transitive verb

1
a
: to proceed or make (one's way) insidiously or deviously
worm their way into positions of powerBill Franzen
b
: to insinuate or introduce (oneself) by devious or subtle means
c
: to cause to move or proceed in or as if in the manner of a worm
2
: to wind rope or yarn spirally round and between the strands of (a cable or rope) before serving
3
: to obtain or extract by artful or insidious questioning or by pleading, asking, or persuading
usually used with out of
finally wormed the truth out of him
4
: to treat (an animal) with a drug to destroy or expel parasitic worms

Examples of worm in a Sentence

Noun I often see worms in the garden. We always used worms as bait for fishing. Verb He slowly wormed through the crowd. He slowly wormed his way through the crowd. You should have the dog vaccinated and wormed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
The way the parasite ends up in the head after being ingested is as unpleasant as the concept of worm eggs in the brain, according to the CDC. Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 11 Mar. 2024 But like a folksy ear worm, the urge to find it within this wilderness of rock might be hard to shake. Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 7 Mar. 2024 Other sea worms can live surrounded by methane, one of the Earth’s most potent greenhouse gasses. Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024 Jesse Myer, a social media content moderator in Tulsa, spent his weekend crafting a rideable worm vehicle that looks like the Shai-Hulud from Denis Villeneuve’s new sci-fi epic. Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 4 Mar. 2024 Water the soil/fertilizer/worm castings well, then replace the mulch. Fertilize organic citrus and avocado the same way, using citrus and avocado food. Nan Sterman, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 Mar. 2024 Your amendments will be the smaller amount — predominantly organic compost, with about 10% to 20% worm castings, Trigo and Pennes said. Jeanette Marantos, Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar. 2024 My two sons get some sort of blue nuclear-looking frozen yogurt with gummy bears and sour worms. Bon Appétit Contributor, Bon Appétit, 23 Feb. 2024 Many of you have probably heard of jumping worms or the spotted lanternfly. Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 27 Feb. 2024
Verb
If some creeps focus on worming their way into a tantalizing class or clique, others concentrate their desires on a single object. Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 29 Dec. 2023 That’s why Johnson – and other lawmakers – are leery of an expulsion, no matter what antics Santos may have pulled to worm his way into Congress. Chad Pergram, Fox News, 30 Nov. 2023 Even amid layoffs and a funding drought, financial technology startups continued to worm themselves into the money routines of millions. Rina Torchinsky, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Barrymore's Ivy cleverly and insidiously worms her way into the wealthy family headed by Georgie (Cheryl Ladd) and Darryl (Tom Skerritt). Gwen Ihnat, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023 Food carts pass through, and depending on the service that day, passengers can sometimes order food to the compartment as the train worms down the country. Monisha Rajesh, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2023 In the chaos, neutrons repeatedly worm their way into atomic cores, forming highly unstable and radioactive atoms. Quanta Magazine, 13 Dec. 2023 Stop using your credit cards Credit cards—relentlessly marketed and oh-so-easy-to-use—have a way of worming their way into your wallet. Kerri Anne Renzulli, wsj.com, 31 Oct. 2023 Big Tech has wormed it way into every corner of our lives; now Big AI could be about to do the same. Matteo Wong, The Atlantic, 24 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'worm.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Old English wyrm serpent, worm; akin to Old High German wurm serpent, worm, Latin vermis worm

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Verb

1610, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of worm was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near worm

Cite this Entry

“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worm. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

worm

1 of 2 noun
1
a
b
: any of various long creeping or crawling animals (as a grub or tapeworm) that usually have soft bodies
2
: a person who is hated or pitied : wretch
3
plural : infection with or disease caused by parasitic worms
4
: something in the form of a coil
5
: a usually small self-contained and self-replicating computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a destructive action compare trojan horse sense 2, virus sense 3
wormlike adjective

worm

2 of 2 verb
1
: to obtain by cleverness or trickery or by pleading or persuading
wormed the truth out of him
2
: to move, go, or work slowly in the manner of a worm
wormed out of the trap
wormed my way into a job
3
: to rid (as a dog) of parasitic worms

Medical Definition

worm

1 of 2 noun
1
: any of various relatively small elongated usually naked and soft-bodied parasitic animals (as of the phylum Platyhelminthes)
2
: helminthiasis
usually used in plural
a dog with worms
wormlike adjective

worm

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to treat (an animal) with a drug to destroy or expel parasitic worms

More from Merriam-Webster on worm

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