worm

1 of 2

noun

ˈwərm 

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

ˈwərm-ˌlīk 

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 power

—Bill 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

Synonyms

Verb

• creep
• encroach
• inch

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

Say hi to new species of worm, Perinereis kaustiana and her beautiful smile!#WormWednesday #thisishowMISErolls pic.twitter.com/6DnB2R0TS5 — Chloé Fourreau (@ChaoticChloeia) April 1, 2024 Discover more new species Thousands of new species are found each year. —Irene Wright, Miami Herald, 4 Apr. 2024

Their short, muscled limbs and four-inch claws can break apart rotting logs for grubs and beetles, and dig for worms, boosting decomposition and cycling nutrients in the thin topsoil. —Alex Fox, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Mar. 2024

And human fossilized poop, or coprolites, showed that at least some inhabitants suffered from intestinal worms. —Katie Hunt, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024

Through a series of tests, the researchers also found that the Chernobyl worms were no more or less likely to be tolerant of radiation than other non-Chernobyl worms of the same species, according to lead researcher and NYU post-doc Sophia Tintori. —Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 8 Mar. 2024

Some worms can produce pheromones that can attract other worms toward them. —Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2024

Rubbery artificial lures like worms, Senkos, Flukes, and toads all have a couple things in common: they’re made from some sort of soft-plastic material, and each requires some sort of terminal tackle to ready it for the water. —Shaye Baker, Field & Stream, 20 Mar. 2024

The kidney worms stop at three feet but can destroy vital organs. —Franz Lidz, New York Times, 19 Mar. 2024

Delta 8 products are also commonly available in edibles resembling snack foods like Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, gummy worms, and Pop Rocks. —Nicholas Florko, STAT, 12 Mar. 2024

Verb

The center houses an earthquake monitoring system—rows of computer monitors that show seismometer data worming across the screens—and servers for a tsunami modeling system. —Chuong Nguyen, Ars Technica, 27 Nov. 2023

There's no better time to binge the hilarious, often tragic exploits of its title character, a hitman (Hader) who worms his way into an acting class, and as a result, gets a second chance at life. —Declan Gallagher, EW.com, 7 Nov. 2023

Ali’s bravado and brash confidence grabbed headlines, earned him title fights, built hype, served as a means of self-motivation and wormed its way into the minds of his opponents. —Greg Hanlon, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2023

If Cage has somehow not yet managed to worm his way into our collective unconscious, Dream Scenario is a cinch to seal the deal. —Michael Rechtshaffen, The Hollywood Reporter, 10 Sep. 2023

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

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

Phrases Containing worm

• acorn worm
• arrow worm
• bladder worm
• cabbage worm
• clam worm
• dew worm
• Guinea worm
• Guinea worm disease
• horsehair worm
• imported cabbage worm
• jumping worm
• measuring worm
• railroad worm
• red worm
• ribbon worm
• spiny-headed worm
• the worm turns
• tube worm
• tubifex worm
• worm-eaten
• worm fence
• worm gear
• worm into
• worm load
• worm out of
• worm's-eye
• worm snake
• worm wheel

Kids Definition

worm

1 of 2 noun

ˈwərm 

1

a

: earthworm

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

-ˌlīk 

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

ˈwərm 

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

-ˌlīk 

adjective

worm

2 of 2 transitive verb

: to treat (an animal) with a drug to destroy or expel parasitic worms