lugworm

American

[luhg-wurm] / ˈlʌgˌwɜrm /

noun

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

lugworm British

/ ˈlʌɡˌwɜːm /

noun

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

"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 lugworm

First recorded in 1795–1805; lug ⁴ + worm

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.

Along the way, Wilbrink had pointed out a Japanese oyster, the outline of a flat fish on the sea’s bottom and squiggly lugworm castings.

From Washington Post • Aug. 12, 2021

She opens her hand to reveal a wriggling lugworm.

From BBC • Oct. 12, 2019

Palolo, pa-lō′lō, n. an edible annelid allied to the lugworm, found near Polynesian coral-reefs.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 3 of 4: N-R) by Various

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