night crawler

American  

noun

Chiefly Northern, North Midland, and Western U.S.

1. an earthworm.

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Regionalisms

See earthworm.

Etymology

Origin of night crawler

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

Onyx, a 3-year-old dragon who arrived at the zoo in late 2020, is more of a morning lizard than a night crawler — he’s more agreeable and easier to handle early in the day before the sun warms his enclosure and his blood gets hotter.

From Washington Post

So I went into the night crawler business.

From Reuters

There was also the problem of them putting the odd item they found in the dust into their mouths; I saved the lives of a couple of beetles and a disoriented night crawler that way.

From Literature

Walleye are responding to Blade Baits and jigs tipped with a grub and a night crawler.

From Seattle Times

Both Rapala Shad Raps and Spinner and Night Crawler set ups would be your best bet for some nice fish.

From Seattle Times