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• caterpillar
  caterpillar

  noun

  the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.
• Caterpillar
  Caterpillar

  a tractor intended for rough terrain, propelled by two endless belts or tracks that pass over a number of wheels.

caterpillar

¹ American  

[kat-uh-pil-er, kat-er-] / ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər- /

noun

• caterpillars
  plural

1. the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.

2. a person who preys on others; extortioner.

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Caterpillar ² American  

[kat-uh-pil-er, kat-er-] / ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər- /

Trademark.

1. a tractor intended for rough terrain, propelled by two endless belts or tracks that pass over a number of wheels.

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caterpillar ¹ British  

/ ˈkætəˌpɪlə /

noun

1. the wormlike larva of butterflies and moths, having numerous pairs of legs and powerful biting jaws. It may be brightly coloured, hairy, or spiny

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Caterpillar ² British  

/ ˈkætəˌpɪlə /

noun

1. an endless track, driven by sprockets or wheels, used to propel a heavy vehicle and enable it to cross soft or uneven ground

2. a vehicle, such as a tractor, tank, bulldozer, etc, driven by such tracks

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caterpillar Scientific  

/ kăt′ər-pĭl′ər /

1. The wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth. Caterpillars have thirteen body segments, with three pairs of stubby legs on the thorax and several on the abdomen, six eyes on each side of the head, and short antennae. Caterpillars feed mostly on foliage and are usually brightly colored. Many have poisonous spines.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• caterpillars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of caterpillar

1400–50; late Middle English catyrpel, probably alteration of an Old North French variant of Old French chatepelose, equivalent to chate cat ( def. ) + pelose hairy (≪ Latin pilōsus; see pilose); -yr probably by association with cater tomcat ( see caterwaul); final -er probably by association with piller despoiler ( see pillage, -er ¹); cf. chenille

Explanation

A caterpillar is a fuzzy, worm-like insect that transforms into a butterfly or a moth. Many caterpillars are striped and colorful. A caterpillar is officially the larva, or immature form, of a flying insect — generally, a butterfly. Because caterpillars are growing rapidly, they tend to eat constantly, and for this reason they're considered pests by gardeners and farmers. The word caterpillar comes from the Old North French caterpilose, literally "shaggy cat," from the Late Latin catta, "cat," and pilosus, "hairy" or "shaggy."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caterpillar Caterpillar caterpillars

When this coarse fern is trimmed it is "litter", the dead leaves on the floor that create a warmer ecosystem underneath which is essential for the growth of the High Brown caterpillar.

From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026

At least in the sampled bottles, it was consistently the caterpillar of a single moth species.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2026

Trefry likened this awkward time of life to the stage in a butterfly’s development when a caterpillar disappears inside a chrysalis and dissolves into goo before reforming into something entirely new.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2025

If you’ve ever glimpsed a caterpillar dangling from a branch by a silk thread, they’re on their way down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

The caterpillar goes into the chrysalis, her grandmother had said.

From "The Girl Who Drank the Moon" by Kelly Barnhill

Companies such as Caterpillar and Cummins are pivoting to feed a booming market for once-prosaic machinery.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026

“If we can get more units out, they’re asking us to give them more,” Caterpillar Chief Executive Joe Creed said of data centers during the company’s second-quarter earnings call with analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

A run of upbeat reports from companies including Palantir, Caterpillar and Walt Disney this past week fueled a climb that carried stock indexes to their best weekly gains since April.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 9, 2026

Hyperscalers are buying natural-gas-powered General Electric turbines and Caterpillar generators at a torrid rate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026

And what would I do if I didn’t feel like being in bed—invite myself in for a tour of the Caterpillar parts warehouse?

From "Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" by Barbara Ehrenreich

He said there should be an emphasis on "preserving natural field which provides habitat for insects, bugs, moths and caterpillars that need to incubate underground there."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Julie was raising some caterpillars too, and she cared a lot about them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

Gareth Tilley bought a UV torch to try and find the caterpillars in May 2022.

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026

The local authority advised people not to be concerned about the "harmless" white webbing seen in trees in Belle Isle Park, Exeter, caused by an infestation of caterpillars.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

Eggs hatching into caterpillars, which grow and shed skin between instars.

From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman