worm
noun
any of numerous long, slender, soft-bodied, legless, bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates, including the flatworms, roundworms, acanthocephalans, nemerteans, gordiaceans, and annelids.
worm
American
[wurm]
/ wɜrm /
noun
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worms
plural
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Zoology. any of numerous long, slender, soft-bodied, legless, bilaterally symmetrical invertebrates, including the flatworms, roundworms, acanthocephalans, nemerteans, gordiaceans, and annelids.
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(loosely) any of numerous small creeping animals with more or less slender, elongated bodies, and without limbs or with very short ones, including individuals of widely differing kinds, as earthworms, tapeworms, insect larvae, and adult forms of some insects.
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something resembling or suggesting a worm in appearance, movement, etc.
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Informal. a groveling, abject, or contemptible person.
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the spiral pipe in which the vapor is condensed in a still.
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(not in technical use) screw thread.
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Also called worm screw. a rotating cylinder or shaft, cut with one or more helical threads, that engages with and drives a worm wheel.
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something that penetrates, injures, or consumes slowly or insidiously, like a gnawing worm.
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(used with a singular verb) worms, any disease or disorder arising from the presence of parasitic worms in the intestines or other tissues; helminthiasis.
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(used with a plural verb) irregularities visible on the surfaces of some metals subject to plastic deformation.
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the lytta of a dog or other carnivorous animal.
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computer code planted illegally in a software program so as to destroy data in any system that downloads the program, as by reformatting the hard disk.
verb (used without object)
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worms,
present (3rd person singular)
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wormed,
past participle, past
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worming
present participle
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to move or act like a worm; creep, crawl, or advance slowly or stealthily.
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to achieve something by insidious procedure (usually followed byinto ).
to worm into another's favor.
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Metallurgy. craze.
verb (used with object)
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worms,
present (3rd person singular)
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wormed,
past participle, past
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worming
present participle
-
to cause to move or advance in a devious or stealthy manner.
The thief wormed his hand into my coat pocket.
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to get by persistent, insidious efforts (usually followed by out orfrom ).
to worm a secret out of a person.
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to insinuate (oneself or one's way) into another's favor, confidence, etc..
to worm his way into the king's favor.
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to free from worms.
He wormed the puppies.
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Nautical. to wind yarn or the like spirally round (a rope) so as to fill the spaces between the strands and render the surface smooth.
WORM
1
British
/ wɜːm /
acronym
worm
2
British
/ wɜːm /
noun
-
any of various invertebrates, esp the annelids (earthworms, etc), nematodes (roundworms), and flatworms, having a slender elongated body
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any of various insect larvae having an elongated body, such as the silkworm and wireworm
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any of various unrelated animals that resemble annelids, nematodes, etc, such as the glow-worm and shipworm
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a gnawing or insinuating force or agent that torments or slowly eats away
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a wretched or spineless person
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anything that resembles a worm in appearance or movement
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a shaft on which a helical groove has been cut, as in a gear arrangement in which such a shaft meshes with a toothed wheel
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a spiral pipe cooled by air or flowing water, used as a condenser in a still
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a nontechnical name for lytta
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Technical name: vermis. anatomy any wormlike organ, structure, or part, such as the middle lobe of the cerebellum ( vermis cerebelli )
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computing a program that duplicates itself many times in a network and prevents its destruction. It often carries a logic bomb or virus
verb
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to move, act, or cause to move or act with the slow sinuous movement of a worm
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to make (one's way) slowly and stealthily; insinuate (oneself)
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(tr; often foll by out of or from) to extract (information, a secret, etc) from by persistent questioning
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(tr) to free from or purge of worms
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(tr) nautical to wind yarn around (a rope) so as to fill the spaces between the strands and render the surface smooth for parcelling and serving
worm
Scientific
/ wûrm /
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Any of various invertebrate animals having a soft, long body that is round or flattened and usually lacks limbs. The term worm is used variously to refer to the segmented worms (or annelids, such as the earthworm), roundworms (or nematodes), flatworms (or platyhelminths), and various other groups.
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A destructive computer program that copies itself over and over until it fills all of the storage space on a computer's hard drive or on a network.
worm
Idioms
Closer Look
Earthworms are one of many types of worms, including those of the flat and round species. Over a century ago, Charles Darwin spent 39 years studying earthworms and wrote The Formation of Vegetable Mould Through the Action of Worms with Observations on Their Habits, an entire book that described his research on earthworm behavior and intelligence and further explained how important earthworms are to agriculture. “Long before [the plow] existed,” he wrote, “the land was, in fact, regularly plowed and still continues to be thus plowed by earthworms. It may be doubted whether there are many other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world.” Darwin was referring to the way that earthworms naturally mix and till soil, while both improving its structure and increasing its nutrients. As they tunnel in the soil, earthworms open channels that allow in air and water, improving drainage and easing the way for plants to send down roots; they also carry nutrients from deep soils to the surface. Earthworms eat plant material in the soil, decaying leaves, and leaf litter, and their own waste provides nourishment for plants and other organisms. Slime, a secretion of earthworms, contains nitrogen, an important plant nutrient. It is estimated that each year earthworms in one acre of land move 18 or more tons of soil.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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wormsimple
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wormssimple
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have wormedperfect
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has wormedperfect
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am wormingprogressive
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are wormingprogressive
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is wormingprogressive
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have been wormingperfect progressive
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has been wormingperfect progressive
Past
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wormedsimple
-
had wormedperfect
-
was wormingprogressive
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were wormingprogressive
-
had been wormingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of worm
before 900; Middle English (noun); Old English wyrm, dragon, serpent, worm; cognate with Dutch worm, German Wurm, Old Norse ormr; akin to Latin vermis
Explanation
A worm is a small, tube-shaped invertebrate with no arms or legs. The worms that hang out in your garden are very helpful, keeping the soil rich and fertile. Worm can be a contemptuous term for a weak person — and while most worms cause us no harm at all, there are dozens of worms that we'd be better off avoiding. Many worms are parasites, feeding on their host's body. Intestinal worms get into a human or animal's digestive system and make them sick. As a verb, to worm is to move or wriggle with difficulty: "Everyone glares as she worms her way up to the front of the line."
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.
See Examples For:
Ali likes to use expansive spaces and incorporate fabrics and textiles, whether it’s a red, sequin-covered chador or a tubular-looking worm made out of polyester, Lycra and spandex.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
"We wondered whether the worm had evolved a way to access this rich energy reserve."
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
There will always be anglers who prefer a worm or an old-style spinner, topwater or crankbait.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
The glow worm population is thought to be at risk nationally from loss of habitat, climate change and light pollution.
From BBC ● Jul. 27, 2026
Then ripped the half in half and twisted it into a paper worm.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
Would Andrew have used the clue “tube” to point to WORM?
From Slate ● Nov. 28, 2018
The PRESIDENT, with the grand order of the cross about his neck, and a star at his breast—SECRETARY WORM.
From Love and Intrigue by Friedrich Schiller
Such a move would threaten to open the proverbial can of worms, raising questions over other accomplishments.
From BBC ● Sep. 26, 2026
“It opens up this can of worms of interpretations that are sometimes not based on reality,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 1, 2026
Bessent has opened up a couple of cans of worms, said Lou Crandall, chief economist at Wrightson ICAP, which makes it harder for the Fed and the Treasury Department to communicate to the markets.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 21, 2026
Responding to the disagreement between ministers, he said Voisin's public comments had "opened a can of worms".
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
“Because we spent our money on his bungy. He’s got worms again.”
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
To her, it doesn’t matter if the scammer wormed into the email exchange from the town’s side or the company’s, because the town never spoke with her.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
After being axed from Noem’s office, Lewandowski wormed his way back into Trump’s inner circle.
From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2025
They wormed their way into his life, acting as his caregivers and new best friends and lived with Sawusch from September 2017 until his death in May 2018.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2024
"Or they've wormed their way in through a friend. They get their foot in the door and it goes from there."
From BBC ● Aug. 7, 2024
With a sudden jerk, I broke free of Meir’s grip and wormed out from under him.
From "The City Beautiful" by Aden Polydoros
The charity says the costs for owners can extend well beyond feed, with veterinary care, vaccinations, worming and farrier visits all essential to a horse's welfare.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026
Alarmingly, air pollution's effects are not confined to the breathing, as a growing body of research suggests that air pollution worming its way into the bodies of fetuses and unborn babies vis-a-vis their mothers' lungs.
From Salon ● Oct. 13, 2022
A clown fish embryo maturing; a parasite worming its way into a cell; tiny mites clustered around the bases of your eyelashes.
From New York Times ● Oct. 4, 2022
And you can just imagine what is already hitting the shops in England and will eventually be worming its way into America: King Charles III, coming soon to a mug near you.
From Washington Post ● Sep. 19, 2022
He marched off and the others followed behind, worming through the crowd and up to the light.
From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds
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.
