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lugworm

[luhg-wurm]
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noun
  1. any burrowing annelid of the genus Arenicola, of ocean shores, having tufted gills: used as bait for fishing.
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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. 2018

Examples from the Web for lugworm

Historical Examples

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

    The Sea-beach at Ebb-tide

    Augusta Foote Arnold

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

British Dictionary definitions for lugworm

lugworm

noun
  1. 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
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Word Origin

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

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."

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper