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woolly bear

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noun
  1. the caterpillar of any of several moths, as a tiger moth, having a dense coat of woolly hairs.
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Origin of woolly bear

First recorded in 1835–45
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for woolly bear

Historical Examples

  • Oh, mistis, dat yar sergeant ossifer— Dat sassy un what call me "Woolly-bear."

    Laura Secord, the heroine of 1812

    Sarah Anne Curzon

British Dictionary definitions for woolly bear

woolly bear

noun
  1. the caterpillar of any of various tiger moths, esp Arctia caja of Europe and Isia isabella of North America, having a dense covering of soft hairs
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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