I. ˈwərm, ˈwə̄m, ˈwəim noun
( -s )
Usage: often attributive
Etymology: Middle English, from Old English wyrm serpent, dragon, worm; akin to Old High German wurm serpent, dragon, worm, Old Norse ormr, Gothic waurms serpent, Latin vermis worm, Greek rhomos woodworm
1.
a. : earthworm ; broadly : an annelid worm
b. : any of numerous relatively small more or less elongated usually naked and soft-bodied animals resembling an earthworm: as
(1) : a member of the old group Vermes
(2) : an insect larva ; especially : one that is a destructive grub, caterpillar, or maggot
(3) : shipworm
(4) : blindworm
2.
a. : a human being resembling a worm or reptile as an object of contempt, loathing, or pity : wretch
made me feel a worm for my ignorance — H.J.Laski
who, like the worms they are, hide under the rock of the Fifth Amendment — Phoenix Flame
b. : something that inwardly torments or devours in a manner suggestive of the gnawing, boring, or working of a worm
the worm of care … gives her no rest — Padraic Fallon
the worm of conscience gnaws incessantly
c. obsolete : an impulse, perversity, or marked irrationality of mind
3. archaic : snake , serpent , dragon
4.
a. : a disorder caused by the presence of parasitic worms in the body and especially in the intestines : helminthiasis — usually used in plural
b. Scotland : toothache
5.
a. : lytta
b. : vermis
6. : something (as a mechanical device) spiral or vermiculate in form or appearance: as
a. : a double corkscrew on the end of a rammer for extracting a wad or ball from a muzzle-loading gun
b. : the thread of a screw
c. : a short revolving screw whose threads gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or a rack — compare worm thread
d.
(1) : a tube or pipe twisted into coils ; also : a system of such coiled tube or pipe
(2) : a spiral condensing tube used in distilling
e.
(1) : archimedes' screw
(2) : a conveyor working on the principle of such a screw
7. : something resembling or suggestive of an earthworm
far away … a miniature worm of train rolled tinily along the embankment — Bruce Marshall
in some line regiments a black worm in the gold lace … denotes a perpetual mourning for some famous general — New York Times
II. verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
intransitive verb
1. : to hunt or dig for worms
birds and children are worming on the lawn after the rain
2.
a. : to move, go, or proceed sinuously in or as if in the manner of a worm
wormed through the snow and peered over a snow-covered rock beside the roadway — F.V.W.Mason
we wormed into the … office — Vincent McHugh
the preposterous irrelevancy which wormed through his mind — Marcia Davenport
b.
(1) : to proceed or make one's way insidiously or deviously often with harmful intent or effect — usually used with into
spies into important positions
plans to worm into his teacher's favor
they have wormed into the government and the labor movement — Newsweek
(2) : to evade or escape in indirect or subtle fashion : wriggle — usually used with out of
hopes to worm out of his difficulties
will do wrong and then try to worm out of his punishment if he can
3. : to lay a small line or yarn in the interstices between the strands of a larger rope in order to make an even surface before parceling and serving
4. : to fish with worm as bait
transitive verb
1. : to cut the lytta from under the tongue of (a dog) to prevent madness
2. : to make a screw thread on
machine that worms screws
3. : to cause to be eaten by worms
a wormed tree stump
finds that his winter suit had been badly wormed
the old beams are firm and have not been wormed
4. : to remove or clear out worms from
the dog has been wormed
5.
a. : to cause to move or proceed in or as if in the manner of a worm
solid rock into which the drill had wormed its long tongue — Thomas Wood †1950
worm his big brown hand into his trousers pocket — J.N.Hall
the queue wormed itself on a little — Jan Struther
wormed the strip deep into the American public consciousness — Coulton Waugh
b. : to insinuate or introduce (oneself) by devious or subtle means — usually used with into
seeks to worm himself into a commanding position
the group is worming itself into public favor
6. : to wind rope or yarn spirally round and between the strands of (as a cable) before serving
worm rope
7.
a. : to obtain or extract by artful or insidious questioning
determined not to let them worm the secret from him
— usually used with out of
wormed this information out of the prisoner — Shirley Thomas
had wormed out of them what they had been doing — Oscar Wilde
b. : to procure or acquire by pleading, asking, or persuading
is trying to worm a pension from the government
— usually used with out of
is expected in time to worm all the money out of him
is worming permission out of his parent
8. : to clean or draw a wad or cartridge from (a muzzle-loading firearm) with a wormer
III. noun
: a usually small self-contained computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a malicious action (as taking control of a computer's processor)