worm

worm
—wormer, n. —wormlike, wormish, adj.
/werrm/, n.
1. Zool. any of numerous long, slender, soft-bodied, legless, bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates, including the flatworms, roundworms, acanthocephalans, nemerteans, gordiaceans, and annelids.
2. (loosely) any of numerous small creeping animals with more or less slender, elongated bodies, and without limbs or with very short ones, including individuals of widely differing kinds, as earthworms, tapeworms, insect larvae, and adult forms of some insects.
3. something resembling or suggesting a worm in appearance, movement, etc.
4. Informal. a groveling, abject, or contemptible person.
5. the spiral pipe in which the vapor is condensed in a still.
6. (not in technical use) See screw thread (def. 1).
8. a rotating cylinder or shaft, cut with one or more helical threads, that engages with and drives a worm wheel.
9. something that penetrates, injures, or consumes slowly or insidiously, like a gnawing worm.
10. worms, (used with a sing. v.) Pathol., Vet. Pathol. any disease or disorder arising from the presence of parasitic worms in the intestines or other tissues; helminthiasis.
11. (used with a pl. v.) Metall. irregularities visible on the surfaces of some metals subject to plastic deformation.
12. the lytta of a dog or other carnivorous animal.
13. computer code planted illegally in a software program so as to destroy data in any system that downloads the program, as by reformatting the hard disk.
v.i.
14. to move or act like a worm; creep, crawl, or advance slowly or stealthily.
15. to achieve something by insidious procedure (usually fol. by into): to worm into another's favor.
16. Metall. craze (def. 8a).
v.t.
17. to cause to move or advance in a devious or stealthy manner: The thief wormed his hand into my coat pocket.
18. to get by persistent, insidious efforts (usually fol. by out or from): to worm a secret out of a person.
19. to insinuate (oneself or one's way) into another's favor, confidence, etc.: to worm his way into the king's favor.
20. to free from worms: He wormed the puppies.
21. Naut. to wind yarn or the like spirally round (a rope) so as to fill the spaces between the strands and render the surface smooth.
[bef. 900; ME (n.); OE wyrm, dragon, serpent, worm; c. D worm, G Wurm, ON ormr; akin to L vermis]

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I
Any of thousands of species of unrelated invertebrate animals that typically have a soft, slender, elongated body with no appendages.

The major phyla are Platyhelminthes (flatworms), Annelida (annelids, or segmented worms), Nemertea (ribbon worms), Acanthocephala (spiny-headed worms), and Aschelminthes (nematodes and others). There are several minor phyla. Length ranges from microscopic (e.g., some aschelminths) to more than 100 ft (30 m) (some ribbon worms). Worms are found worldwide on land and in water. They may be parasitic or free-living and are important as soil conditioners, parasites, and a link in the food chain in all ecosystems. See also fluke, pinworm, polychaete, rotifer, tapeworm, tube worm.
II
(as used in expressions)
dragon worm
medina worm
Worms Concordat of
Worms Diet of

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▪ animal
      any of various unrelated invertebrate animals that typically have soft, slender, elongated bodies. Worms usually lack appendages; polychaete annelids are a conspicuous exception. Worms are members of several invertebrate phyla, including Platyhelminthes (flatworms), Annelida (segmented worms), Nemertea (ribbon worms), Nematoda (roundworms, pinworms, etc.), Sipuncula (peanutworms), Echiura (spoonworms), Acanthocephala (spiny-headed worms), Pogonophora (beardworms), and Chaetognatha (arrowworms).

      The term is also loosely applied to centipedes and millipedes; to larval (immature) forms of other invertebrates, particularly those of certain insects; and to some vertebrates—e.g., the blindworm (Anguis fragilis), a limbless, snakelike lizard. At one time all phyla of wormlike animals were classed as Vermes, a term no longer in common use.

      The major groups of worms include various species of flatworm, annelid, ribbon worm, spiny-headed worm, and aschelminth (qq.v.). Worms typically have an elongated, tubelike body, usually rather cylindrical, flattened, or leaflike in shape and often without appendages. They vary in size from less than 1 mm (0.04 inch) in certain nematodes to more than 30 m (100 feet) in certain ribbon worms (phylum Nemertea).

      Worms are universal in distribution, occurring in marine, freshwater, and terrestrial habitats. Some types of worms are parasitic, others are free-living. From a human perspective, worms are important as soil conditioners (e.g., annelids, aschelminths) and as parasites of people and domestic animals (e.g., platyhelminths, aschelminths) and of crops (e.g., aschelminths). Ecologically, worms form an important link in the food chains in virtually all ecosystems of the world.

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Universalium. 2010.

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Synonyms:
, , (like a worm), , , ,


Look at other dictionaries:

  • Worm — (w[^u]rm), n. [OE. worm, wurm, AS. wyrm; akin to D. worm, OS. & G. wurm, Icel. ormr, Sw. & Dan. orm, Goth. wa[ u]rms, L. vermis, Gr. ? a wood worm. Cf. {Vermicelli}, {Vermilion}, {Vermin}.] [1913 Webster] 1. A creeping or a crawling animal of any …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • WORM — ist die Abkürzung für „write once read many“ oder „write once read multiple“ (engl. „schreibe einmal, lese vielfach“). Sie bezeichnet Vorkehrungen in der Informationstechnik, die das Löschen, Überschreiben und Ändern von Daten ausschließen.[1]… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Worm — bezeichnet den Begriff WORM (Write Once Read Multiple times = einmal beschreiben, mehrmals lesen ) aus der Speichertechnologie den Teil des Namens eines Computervirus, welchen ihn als Computerwurm deklariert Worm ist der Familienname folgender… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • WORM — (сокращение от англ. Write Once, Read Manу, также встречаются расшифровки: Write One, Read Multiple, Write Once, Read Mostly) носители информации, допускающие однократную запись и многократное чтение. К характерным представителям WORM… …   Википедия

  • worm — [wʉrm] n. [ME < OE wyrm, serpent, dragon, akin to Ger wurm < IE base * wer , to turn, bend > WARP, L vermis, worm] 1. any of many slender, soft bodied animals, some segmented, that live by burrowing underground, in water, or as parasites …   English World dictionary

  • Worm — Worm, v. t. 1. To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means; often followed by out. [1913 Webster] They find themselves wormed out of all power. Swift. [1913 Webster] They . . . wormed things out of me that I had no… …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • worm — ► NOUN 1) an earthworm or other creeping or burrowing invertebrate animal having a long slender soft body and no limbs. 2) (worms) intestinal or other internal parasites. 3) a maggot regarded as eating dead bodies buried in the ground. 4)… …   English terms dictionary

  • worm|y — «WUR mee», adjective, worm|i|er, worm|i|est. 1. having worms; containing many worms: »wormy apples. efn>damaged by worms; worm eaten: »wormy wood. 2 …   Useful english dictionary

  • Worm — Worm, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wormed}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Worming}.] To work slowly, gradually, and secretly. [1913 Webster] When debates and fretting jealousy Did worm and work within you more and more, Your color faded. Herbert. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • WORM-FM — 101.7FM 101theWorm is a country radio station based in Savannah, Tennessee. WORM FM serves Savannah and the surrounding area with an ERP of 3000 watts at 101.7FM. WORM FM is owned by Gerald W. Hunt …   Wikipedia

  • WORM — 〈[wɔ:m] f. 10; EDV; Abk. für engl.〉 Write Once Read Many Times; optische Speicherplatte mit hohem Speichervolumen [engl., „schreib einmal, lies mehrfach“] * * * WORM,   Write once read Multiple …   Universal-Lexikon

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