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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

"But when I found a caterpillar, it didn't just glow, it was incredibly bright."

From BBC ● Jun. 14, 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

Sometimes a caterpillar and its pupa would surprise Maria by hatching into a swarm of flies or wasps instead of the moth or butterfly she expected.

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

Caterpillar and WM built a Wi-Fi network with portable towers that connect the dozer to a command trailer.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

It is home to one of the largest factories outside the U.S. of heavy-equipment giant Caterpillar and a dense network of machinery suppliers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Few have missed the irony that one of the biggest casualties would be a pillar of U.S. industry: Caterpillar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2026

Companies like Caterpillar and Cummins are raising production of generators critical as backup-power options for data centers springing up all over the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 18, 2026

The Caterpillar & Chicken books lined a low shelf in a cheerful row.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

In exchange, the ants aggressively protect their host plants from leaf-eating insects such as caterpillars.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026

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

Duke of Burgundy caterpillars only eat the leaves of cowslips and primroses, and only when the plants are grown in very specific conditions.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

We have the same dark eyes, long eyelashes, and curly eyebrows that creep across our faces like twin caterpillars.

From "Dragons in a Bag" by Zetta Elliott