caterpillar
1 Americannoun
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the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.
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a person who preys on others; extortioner.
noun
noun
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an endless track, driven by sprockets or wheels, used to propel a heavy vehicle and enable it to cross soft or uneven ground
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a vehicle, such as a tractor, tank, bulldozer, etc, driven by such tracks
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; pilose ); -yr probably by association with cater tomcat ( caterwaul ); final -er probably by association with piller despoiler ( pillage, -er 1 ); chenille
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Another farm recorded 139 caterpillar nests compared to just 24 last year.
From BBC • Nov. 30, 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
Testing by the Xerces Society and the University of Nevada-Reno found that milkweed leaves, the main food source for the monarch caterpillar, were contaminated by 64 pesticides.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 31, 2025
Chalamet’s caterpillar mustache, which he grew for his upcoming film “Marty Supreme,” made the perfect finishing touch to complete the look.
From Salon • Jan. 28, 2025
A watercolor study for Plate 23 from Maria's caterpillar book.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.