caterpillar

1 of 2

noun

cat·​er·​pil·​lar ˈka-tər-ˌpi-lər 

-tə-

often attributive

: the elongated wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth

also : any of various similar larvae

Caterpillar

2 of 2

trademark

—used for a tractor made for use on rough or soft ground and moved on two endless metal belts

Examples of caterpillar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Milkweed is the only plant monarch butterflies can lay their eggs on and feed from as caterpillars. —Nishaa Sharma, The Spruce, 28 May 2026

The humble insects, which have jagged wings and fuzzy, thick legs, migrate every year from the Sierra Nevada to warmer coastal areas in winter, laying eggs which grow into caterpillars and eventually new butterflies. —Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 26 May 2026

Its predictable and tiresome tribalism means that if Arsenal 2025-26 blossom from caterpillar into butterfly, there will still be some wanting to pin them down as formula football. —Michael Walker, New York Times, 22 May 2026

Plants are host to fritillary caterpillars, making this vine a popular choice among butterfly gardeners. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 16 May 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English catyrpel, from Anglo-French *catepelose, literally, hairy cat

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing caterpillar

• forest tent caterpillar
• tent caterpillar

Rhymes for caterpillar

• basilar
• distiller
• painkiller
• biller
• chiller
• driller
• filler
• hilar
• hiller
• killer
• pillar
• quiller

Kids Definition

caterpillar

noun

cat·​er·​pil·​lar ˈkat-ə(r)-ˌpil-ər 

: the long wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth

also : any of various similar insect larvae (as of a sawfly)

Etymology

Noun

Middle English catyrpel "caterpillar," from an early French dialect word catepelose "caterpillar," literally, "hairy cat," from cate "female cat" and pelose "hairy," derived from Latin pilus "hair" — related to pile entry 5

Word Origin

On looking at a fuzzy caterpillar you might see a resemblance to another animal. One kind of caterpillar must have reminded some people of a bear and was at one time called a bear worm and later a woolly bear. In France long ago, the fuzzy caterpillars probably made some people think of little dogs. The French word for caterpillar is chenille, which comes from a Latin word for "little dog." But our word caterpillar comes from an early French dialect word, catepelose, which is made up of two words meaning "hairy cat." Pelose, meaning "hairy," was taken from Latin pilus, "hair." This Latin word is the same root that gives us our modern English word pile, meaning "a coat or surface of short furry hairs." Since many caterpillars are covered with such a coat, the name is very fitting.