woolly bear
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of woolly bear
First recorded in 1835–45
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.
While there are hundreds of woolly-looking species in Erebidae family, the most common and well-recognized woolly bear caterpillar is Pyrrharctia isabella, or the larval form of the Isabella tiger moth, says Marshall.
From National Geographic ● Nov. 29, 2023
According to the legend, the more black setae—long prickly hairs—found on a woolly bear, the harsher the coming winter will be.
From National Geographic ● Nov. 29, 2023
In the Midwest and Northeast, the woolly bear caterpillar is sometimes used to predict the severity of an upcoming winter.
From New York Times ● May 11, 2023
The actor is unrecognizable under a bald cap, mustache and bushy sideburns that look like a family of woolly bear caterpillars have colonized his head, a paunchy fat suit and pudgy facial prosthetics.
From Washington Post ● Nov. 22, 2021
“Wouldn’t you rather have a nice woolly bear, though? Or a pretty doll?”
From "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
