inchworm

American

[inch-wurm] / ˈɪntʃˌwɜrm /

noun

a caterpillar that moves along by bringing the rear end of its body forward and then advancing the front end, a motion known as looping; the larva of any geometrid moth.

inchworm British

/ ˈɪntʃˌwɜːm /

noun

another name for a measuring worm

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of inchworm

First recorded in 1860–65; inch ¹ + worm

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023