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• caterpillar
  caterpillar

  noun

  the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.
• Caterpillar
  Caterpillar

  a tractor intended for rough terrain, propelled by two endless belts or tracks that pass over a number of wheels.

caterpillar

¹ American  

[kat-uh-pil-er, kat-er-] / ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər- /

noun

• caterpillars
  plural

1. the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.

2. a person who preys on others; extortioner.

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Caterpillar ² American  

[kat-uh-pil-er, kat-er-] / ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər- /

Trademark.

1. a tractor intended for rough terrain, propelled by two endless belts or tracks that pass over a number of wheels.

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caterpillar ¹ British  

/ ˈkætəˌpɪlə /

noun

1. the wormlike larva of butterflies and moths, having numerous pairs of legs and powerful biting jaws. It may be brightly coloured, hairy, or spiny

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Caterpillar ² British  

/ ˈkætəˌpɪlə /

noun

1. an endless track, driven by sprockets or wheels, used to propel a heavy vehicle and enable it to cross soft or uneven ground

2. a vehicle, such as a tractor, tank, bulldozer, etc, driven by such tracks

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caterpillar Scientific  

/ kăt′ər-pĭl′ər /

1. The wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth. Caterpillars have thirteen body segments, with three pairs of stubby legs on the thorax and several on the abdomen, six eyes on each side of the head, and short antennae. Caterpillars feed mostly on foliage and are usually brightly colored. Many have poisonous spines.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• caterpillars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of caterpillar

1400–50; late Middle English catyrpel, probably alteration of an Old North French variant of Old French chatepelose, equivalent to chate cat ( def. ) + pelose hairy (≪ Latin pilōsus; see pilose); -yr probably by association with cater tomcat ( see caterwaul); final -er probably by association with piller despoiler ( see pillage, -er ¹); cf. chenille

Explanation

A caterpillar is a fuzzy, worm-like insect that transforms into a butterfly or a moth. Many caterpillars are striped and colorful. A caterpillar is officially the larva, or immature form, of a flying insect — generally, a butterfly. Because caterpillars are growing rapidly, they tend to eat constantly, and for this reason they're considered pests by gardeners and farmers. The word caterpillar comes from the Old North French caterpilose, literally "shaggy cat," from the Late Latin catta, "cat," and pilosus, "hairy" or "shaggy."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

caterpillar Caterpillar caterpillars

At least in the sampled bottles, it was consistently the caterpillar of a single moth species.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 26, 2026

Another farm recorded 139 caterpillar nests compared to just 24 last year.

From BBC ● Nov. 30, 2025

Trefry likened this awkward time of life to the stage in a butterfly’s development when a caterpillar disappears inside a chrysalis and dissolves into goo before reforming into something entirely new.

From Salon ● Nov. 24, 2025

If you’ve ever glimpsed a caterpillar dangling from a branch by a silk thread, they’re on their way down.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 31, 2025

They drove under the Arch and turned east, twenty bulky, quiet-running, barge-like trucks on caterpillar treads, going single file down the deep streets of Erhenrang through the shadows of morning.

From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Caterpillar shares are up about 50% since the start of the year.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

“If we can get more units out, they’re asking us to give them more,” Caterpillar Chief Executive Joe Creed said of data centers during the company’s second-quarter earnings call with analysts.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Caterpillar CAT 1.87%increase; up pointing triangle notched higher profit in the latest quarter as sales jumped, driven by continued demand for its construction equipment, as well as its engines and generators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Caterpillar said the artificial intelligence boom continues to drive demand for its engines and generators, while healthy construction spending is spurring sales of its dump trucks, bulldozers and excavators.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

Chicken and Caterpillar were on the front cover.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

He said there should be an emphasis on "preserving natural field which provides habitat for insects, bugs, moths and caterpillars that need to incubate underground there."

From BBC ● Jul. 28, 2026

Julie was raising some caterpillars too, and she cared a lot about them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026

She said orchard ermine and bird-cherry ermine caterpillars also made webs.

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

"While it can look alarming, the plant usually suffers no permanent damage. The webs are there to protect the caterpillars from predators."

From BBC ● May 13, 2026

They’re these spiny, brightly colored caterpillars the size of your finger.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah