worm
To make with a crawling motionTo make (one's way) with a crawling motion.
Recorded UK: Speaker: Back ache Recorder: Back ache, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Recorded US: Speaker: Naomi Persephone Amethyst Recorder: NaomiAmethyst, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
» The bird was looking for worms.
Der Vogel suchte nach Würmern. — Esperantostern
Der Vogel suchte Würmer. — raggione
Птица искала червяков. — afyodor
Птах шукав хробаків. — deniko
CK · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
10 senses(transitive)To make (one's way) with a crawling motion.
We wormed our way through the underbrush.
(intransitive)To move with one's body dragging the ground.
(figuratively, intransitive)To work one's way by artful or devious means.
(figuratively, transitive)To work (one's way or oneself) (into) gradually or slowly; to insinuate.
He wormed his way into the organization.
(often)To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means.
(figuratively, transitive)To drag out of, to get information that someone is reluctant or unwilling to give (through artful or devious means or by pleading or asking repeatedly).
einem alles aus der Nase ziehen, etwas aus der Nase ziehen, Würmer aus der Nase ziehen
(transitive)To fill in the contlines of (a rope) before parcelling and serving.
Worm and parcel with the lay; turn and serve the other way.
(transitive)To deworm (an animal).
(transitive)To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of (a dog, etc.) for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw, and formerly supposed to guard against canine madness.
(transitive)To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a firearm.
- to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
Examples
150 sentencesThe bird was looking for worms.
Птах шукав хробаків. — deniko
ruПтица искала червяков. — afyodor
deDer Vogel suchte nach Würmern. — Esperantostern
How many worms did you find?
Скільки ти знайшов хробаків? — deniko
Tom put a worm on the hook.
Том насадив хробака на гачок. — miketheknight
ruТом насадил червяка на крючок. — sharptoothed
The early bird catches the worm.
Хто рано встає, тому бог дає. — deniko
ruКто рано встаёт, тому Бог даёт. — FeuDRenais
deMorgenstund hat Gold im Mund. — MUIRIEL
Worms are sometimes beneficial to soil.
Черв'яки іноді приносять користь ґрунту. — Ahha
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
From Middle English werm, wirm, worm, worme, wrim, wurm, wyrm, wyrme, from Old English weoFrom Middle English werm, wirm, worm, worme, wrim, wurm, wyrm, wyrme, from Old English weorm, wurm, wyrm, from Proto-West Germanic *wurmi, from Proto-Germanic *wurmiz (“worm; snake”), from Proto-Indo-European *wr̥mis (“worm; larva”), possibly from *wer- (“to turn”). Doublet of vermin and wyrm, the latter of which is a fairly recent borrowing directly from the Old English.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
worms, worming, wormed, wormedSynonyms
5 synonymsWord family
7 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.