definitions
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lugworm

[ luhg-wurm ]
/ ˈlʌgˌwɜrm /
|

noun

any burrowing annelid of the genus Arenicola, of ocean shores, having tufted gills: used as bait for fishing.

Nearby words

lugones, leopoldo, lugosi, lugsail, lugubriosity, lugubrious, lugworm, luhansk, luhrmann, luhsien, luichow, luichow peninsula

Origin of lugworm

First recorded in 1795–1805; lug4 + worm
Also called lug.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for lugworm

  • Lugworm, lug′wurm, n. a sluggish worm found in the sand on the sea-shore, much used for bait by fishermen.

    Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M)|Various

  • Commonly known as "lugworm," and used by fishermen for bait.

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide|Augusta Foote Arnold

British Dictionary definitions for lugworm

lugworm

/ (ˈlʌɡˌwɜːm) /

noun

any polychaete worm of the genus Arenicola, living in burrows on sandy shores and having tufted gills: much used as bait by fishermenSometimes shortened to: lug Also called: lobworm

Word Origin for lugworm

C17: of uncertain origin
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

Word Origin and History for lugworm

lugworm

n.

c.1600, from lug, probably a Celtic word (the first recorded use is in a Cornwall context) unrelated to lug (n.) or lug (v.) + worm. But OED suggests connection with lug (v.) on the notion of "heavy, clumsy."

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper