woolly bear

noun

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

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of woolly bear¹

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

What’s more, there are some connections between a woolly bear’s appearance and the climate.

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In the Midwest and Northeast, the woolly bear caterpillar is sometimes used to predict the severity of an upcoming winter.

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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.

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If you see a banded woolly bear caterpillar inching along, winter is probably around the corner.

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In creatures such as insects, the ability to self-medicate is almost certainly innate; woolly bear caterpillars infected with parasitic flies seek out and eat plant substances that are toxic to the flies.

Read more on Scientific American