worm

noun
UK: /wɜːm/
US: /wɝːm/

  1. A long, thin animal with no legs and a soft body.

    1. I found a worm in my apple today. [ ] [ ]
    2. The early bird gets the worm, if it is quick to catch it near the garden. [ ] [ ]

  2. A part of a machine that is shaped like a screw.

    1. The worm gear helps the machine turn more smoothly. [ ] [ ]
    2. The mechanic replaced the worn worm in the steering mechanism to improve control. [ ] [ ]

  3. A program secretly enters a computer system and harms the information that is stored there.

    1. A computer worm can spread quickly through email. [ ] [ ]
    2. Cybersecurity experts worked to contain the worm and prevent further data breaches across the servers. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

creep parasite inch crawl bug wriggle
worm verb

  1. To move like a worm, by twisting and crawling.

    1. The baby wormed across the floor with laughter. [ ] [ ]
    2. The injured soldier wormed his way through the mud to reach safety under the fence. [ ] [ ]

  2. To give medicine to an animal to kill worms living in its body.

    1. We need to worm the dog to get rid of parasites. [ ] [ ]
    2. The vet advised us to worm all the kittens regularly to prevent infestations. [ ] [ ]

  3. To secretly get something from someone.

    1. She wormed her way into his life easily. [ ] [ ]
    2. He tried to worm information out of her about the company's future plans, but failed. [ ] [ ]
worm transitive-verb

  1. To remove parasitic worms from an animal.

    1. The farmer wormed his sheep to keep them healthy. [ ] [ ]
    2. It's important to have your cat wormed regularly by the vet. [ ] [ ]
worm intransitive-verb

  1. To move or progress by crawling or wriggling.

    1. The snake wormed along the branch. [ ] [ ]
    2. The climber wormed through the narrow crack in the rock cautiously. [ ] [ ]
worm phrasal-verb

  1. To use clever or dishonest means to achieve something.

    1. She wormed her way into his affections. [ ] [ ]
    2. He wormed himself into a position of power by betraying his colleagues. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "worm" in English means: A long, thin animal with no legs and a soft body., A part of a machine that is shaped like a screw., A program secretly enters a computer system and harms the information that is stored there..

The phonetic transcription of "worm" is /wɜːm/ in British English and /wɝːm/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "worm": creep, parasite, inch, crawl, bug, wriggle.

Example usage of "worm": "I found a worm in my apple today.". More examples on the page.