lugworm

[luhg-wurm]

noun

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

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

Historical Examples of 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

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

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."