woolly bear

American

noun

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

woolly bear British

noun

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

"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

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.

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

But woolly bear colors can tell you other things.

From National Geographic • Nov. 29, 2023

The colors on a woolly bear caterpillar are directly related to how long it has been feeding, its age and species.

From New York Times • May 11, 2023

The size positioning of the brown and black bands on these woolly bear caterpillars can help predict winter weather.

From Washington Post • Nov. 18, 2013

“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