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

In April and May, the sucking pests are primarily aphids, and the chewing pests are rose slugs, caterpillars and hoplia beetles. —Rita Perwich, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026

The best way to attract these eye-catching insects to your yard is to grow native, nectar-rich flowers for the adults and host plants for monarch caterpillars. —Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 3 Apr. 2026

This insect's name refers to the small green caterpillars that chew holes in the foliage of cabbage and related crops such as broccoli and Brussels sprouts. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 2 Apr. 2026

However, climate change could move the timeline up, causing the caterpillars to hatch earlier in the year. —Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 31 Mar. 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.