caterpillar
noun
the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.
caterpillars
-
pluralof caterpillar.plural
The grammatical form denoting more than one person, place, thing, or idea.
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.
In exchange, the ants aggressively protect their host plants from leaf-eating insects such as caterpillars.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 6, 2026
However, it said previous drought conditions across much of the UK may have caused food plants used by caterpillars to wither before they had finished feeding.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
Too much bracken inhibits the growth of the dog violet, the food source for the caterpillars.
From BBC ● Jul. 10, 2026
Julie was raising some caterpillars too, and she cared a lot about them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
For the first time, I noticed his ears were too small, his teeth were crooked, and his eyebrows looked like fat, blond caterpillars wriggling on his face when he spoke.
From "The Lions of Little Rock" by Kristin Levine
