worm
wurm
Worm (noun) means a long, thin, legless invertebrate, such as an earthworm. Example: “After the rain, worms covered the sidewalk.”
noun
1
A long, thin, legless invertebrate, such as an earthworm.
"After the rain, worms covered the sidewalk."
"The gardener was pleased to find a healthy worm in every spadeful of soil."
"A robin pulled a fat worm out of the lawn."
2
A self-replicating computer program that spreads across a network on its own.
"The worm infected thousands of computers within hours."
"The company warned staff that a worm was spreading through its email system."
"Unlike a virus, a worm can copy itself without anyone opening a file."
3
An insulting term for a contemptible or sneaky person.
"He called his ex a worm for lying to everyone."
"I can't believe I trusted that worm with my secret."
"Only a worm would let his friends take the blame for his mistake."
verb
1
To move forward slowly by crawling or wriggling.
"She wormed her way through the crowd."
"He wormed his way into their trust over several months."
"The cat wormed under the fence to reach the neighbour's garden."
How to use worm
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small crawling invertebrate; also used for a self-spreading computer virus, or as an insult for a sneaky person.
Common pairings
worm your way in
computer worm
can of worms
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Word forms
- Plural
- worms
- Third person singular
- worms
- Past tense
- wormed
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After the rain, _____ covered the sidewalk.
Etymology
From Old English "wyrm," which could mean both "worm" and "snake" — a distant cousin of "vermin."
Synonyms
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Rhymes for worm
See all rhymes for worm →Frequently asked questions
What does “worm” mean?
The word “worm” means a long, thin, legless invertebrate, such as an earthworm. In plain terms, a small crawling invertebrate; also used for a self-spreading computer virus, or as an insult for a sneaky person.
How do you pronounce “worm”?
“Worm” is pronounced wurm (/wɝm/ in IPA).
How do you use “worm” in a sentence?
Here is “worm” used in a sentence: “After the rain, worms covered the sidewalk.”
What part of speech is “worm”?
Depending on how it is used, “worm” can be a noun and a verb.
Where does the word “worm” come from?
The word “worm” comes from Old English. From Old English "wyrm," which could mean both "worm" and "snake" — a distant cousin of "vermin.".
Is “worm” a common word?
“Worm” is an uncommon word in modern English, usually learned at around the B2 level.
How many meanings does “worm” have?
“Worm” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a long, thin, legless invertebrate, such as an earthworm.
What is the difference between a worm and a virus in computing?
A computer worm is a self-replicating program that spreads across a network on its own, without needing to attach itself to another file or program, whereas a virus typically requires a host file and some user action to spread. This makes worms generally faster at propagating across networks.
Why is worm used as an insult for a person?
Calling someone a worm is an informal insult implying they are contemptible or sneaky, drawing on the image of the low, crawling creature to suggest someone lacking in dignity or trustworthiness.
What does it mean to worm your way into something?
To 'worm your way into' something means to gradually and cunningly gain entry or acceptance, often through persistence or subtle manipulation, drawing on the verb sense of moving forward slowly by crawling or wriggling.
What is a worm io game?
A worm io game is a free multiplayer browser game in which you steer a growing worm around an arena shared with other players. You eat pellets to get longer and are knocked out when your head touches another worm's body. The genre took off with slither.io in 2016.
Why are they called io games?
The name comes from the .io web address. .io is the country-code domain of the British Indian Ocean Territory, but it became popular with tech start-ups, and after agar.io became a hit in 2015 many similar browser games launched on .io addresses too. Today "io game" means a quick, free multiplayer browser game, whatever its address.
Example sentences
Sentences with a source are quoted from published work. Any opinions in them are those of the original source and do not reflect the views of FreeDict.com.
The worm spread from one unpatched server to the next without anyone clicking a thing.
Earthworms drag fallen leaves underground, which is one reason healthy soil is full of them.
Blackbirds worked across the wet lawn, pulling up worms every few steps.
Don't be such a worm — just tell her you broke it.
He wormed his way onto the guest list by name-dropping the organiser's brother.
A worm io game drops you into a shared arena where every worm keeps growing, and survival means never letting your own head touch another worm's body.
From
Worm IO Game
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