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

After laying a single egg inside the female puts some paralyzed caterpillars and beetle larvae which the larva will eat. —Pamm Cooper, Hartford Courant, 9 May 2026

The larvae of syrphid flies, also called flower or hover flies, feed on soft-bodied insects like aphids, white flies, and small caterpillars, as well as insect eggs. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 May 2026

Toads help control snails, slugs, caterpillars, and other invertebrates—pests that have the potential to harm your garden plants, says Amarello. —Michelle Mastro, Martha Stewart, 6 May 2026

Garlic and Shallots Garlic and shallots also emit strong, sulfurous odors effective against a wider range of insect pests including aphids, mites, caterpillars, armyworms, moths, beetles, and whiteflies. —Barbara Gillette, The Spruce, 3 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.