(~s, ~ing, ~ed)
1.
A ~ is a small animal with a long thin body, no bones and no legs.
N-COUNT
2.
If animals or people have ~s, ~s are living in their intestines.
N-PLURAL
3.
If you ~ an animal, you give it medicine in order to kill the ~s that are living in its intestines.
I ~ all my birds in early spring...
All adult dogs are routinely ~ed at least every six months.
VERB: V n, be V-ed
4.
If you say that someone is ~ing their way to success, or is ~ing their way into someone else’s affection, you disapprove of the way that they are gradually making someone trust them or like them, often in order to deceive them or gain some advantage.
She never misses a chance to ~ her way into the public’s hearts...
VERB: V way prep/adv disapproval
5.
A ~ is a computer program that contains a virus which duplicates itself many times in a network. (COMPUTING)
N-COUNT
6.
If you say that someone is opening a can of ~s, you are warning them that they are planning to do or talk about something which is much more complicated, unpleasant, or difficult than they realize and which might be better left alone.
You’ve opened up a whole new can of ~s here I think. We could have a whole debate on student loans and grants...
PHRASE: PHR after v, v-link PHR