\ ˈwərm
\
\
Definition of worm
(Entry 1 of 2)
b
: any of numerous relatively small elongated usually naked and soft-bodied animals (such as a grub, pinworm, tapeworm, shipworm, or slowworm)
2a
: a human being who is an object of contempt, loathing, or pity : wretch
b
: something that torments or devours from within
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
6
: a usually small self-contained and self-replicating computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a destructive action
worm
verb
wormed;
worming;
worms
Definition of worm (Entry 2 of 2)
: to move or proceed sinuously or insidiously
1a
: 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
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Other Words from worm
Noun
wormlike
\ ˈwərm-ˌlīk
\
adjective
\
adjective
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
Wild bees, dragonflies and glow-worms (and the birds which feed on them), threatened by intensive agriculture in western Europe, still thrive here. — The Economist, "An ancient beast returns to Transylvania," 24 Aug. 2019 Able to reproduce without mating (bummer), these jumping worms pose a threat to yards as well as forests. — Rex Huppke, chicagotribune.com, "Column: Trump, an avatar for Nazis, now gets to decide who goes to Israel? What the (BLEEP) just happened?," 16 Aug. 2019 Their diets are omnivorous but consist mostly of plant material, pond weed and algae, along with tadpoles, small fish, worms, snails and insects. — Ernie Cowan, San Diego Union-Tribune, "Water-loving coots are longtime familiar sights," 15 Aug. 2019 The adult insects lay eggs and the worms (larvae) hatch, bore into the tree and cause great damage or even death. — Howard Garrett, Dallas News, "Is that tree damage from woodpeckers or borer insects?," 13 Aug. 2019 The girls disappeared into it to seek materials for their fairy houses — and to collect a menagerie of frogs, worms, and beetles. — Joshua Berman, The Know, "A nearby campground that you’ve probably driven past has hidden depths behind its trees," 26 July 2019 Scott Rozelle, a professor at Stanford, found that most kids left behind in the rural villages are sick or malnourished and that up to two-thirds struggle with combinations of anemia, worms, and uncorrected myopia, which set them back at school. — Joel Kotkin, National Review, "The Return to Serfdom," 25 July 2019 Ants, butterflies, worms, beetles skitter along the edges of the displays, nibbling, sucking out juice. — Jonathan Gold, Los Angeles Times, "The oranges that enraptured a millionaire," 18 July 2019 There’s an important unheralded character in each picture, too: a tiny orange worm whose attempts to escape from the bird drive the action. — Meghan Cox Gurdon, WSJ, "Children’s Books: Board Books That Aren’t Boring," 1 Nov. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Location sharing has steadily wormed its way into our lives. — Boone Ashworth, WIRED, "The Terrible Anxiety of Location Sharing Apps," 28 July 2019 Outside of lamb, turkey, and soy, products like mung beans wormed their way into Bureau taste tests. — Michael Waters, Smithsonian, "The Government Taste Testers Who Reshaped America’s Diet," 9 Aug. 2019 Don’t discount Arcidiacono’s chances to worm his way into some playing time. — K.c. Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Bulls reach terms with Ryan Arcidiacono on a 3-year, $9 million deal and get a commitment from free-agent big man Luke Kornet," 2 July 2019 After attaching to the female, the male releases his hectocotylus, which worms its way into the female’s mantle cavity. — Taylor Maggiacomo, National Geographic, "To mate, this octopus gives life and limb," 17 June 2019 This sort of bias can worm its way into all sorts of systems, from algorithms designed to calculate parole to those assessing your CV ahead of an upcoming job interview. — James Vincent, The Verge, "AI is worse at identifying household items from lower-income countries," 11 June 2019 Opinions about Jackson are especially intense, Mayer believes, in part because pop-music stars worm their way into hearts and minds when their audience is young. — Maria Puente, USA TODAY, "We may never resolve our conflicted feelings about Michael Jackson," 24 June 2019 Still, for all the psychedelic dreams that trickled from science fiction to celluloid, virtual reality couldn’t seem to worm its way into our actual lives. — Peter Rubin, WIRED, "Disney's New Lion King Is the VR-Fueled Future of Cinema," 20 June 2019 Over the decades, the Kadison-Singer problem had wormed its way into a dozen distant areas of mathematics and engineering, but no one seemed to be able to crack it. — Quanta Magazine, "‘Outsiders’ Crack 50-Year-Old Math Problem," 24 Nov. 2015These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'worm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for worm
worm
noun
English Language Learners Definition of worm
(Entry 1 of 2)
: a long, thin animal that has a soft body with no legs or bones and that often lives in the ground
: the young form of some insects that looks like a small worm