caterpillar

1 of 2

noun

cat·​er·​pil·​lar ˈka-tər-ˌpi-lər How to pronounce caterpillar (audio)
-tə-
often attributive
: the elongated wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth
also : any of various similar larvae

Caterpillar

2 of 2

trademark

used for a tractor made for use on rough or soft ground and moved on two endless metal belts

Examples of caterpillar in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
After discovering several caterpillars in her backyard, Lawson decided to raise monarch butterflies in her garden as well. Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 14 Mar. 2024 About the length of a paper clip, the caterpillar sways its black and bristly body back and forth. Krista Stevens, Longreads, 28 Feb. 2024 Being the very hungry caterpillar is a far more expensive feat these days. Chloe Berger, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 Here's what to look for, according to the University of Arizona: Tomato hornworm caterpillars Large green caterpillars with white diagonal stripes and a horn-like appendage. The Arizona Republic, 14 Feb. 2024 But the groundhog is just one of numerous animals that, according to folklore, possess an uncanny ability to forecast the weather, including cows that are said to lie down before early rain and woolly bear caterpillars that are supposedly decorated with less color before a frigid winter. Jackie Wattles, CNN, 2 Feb. 2024 The ladybug begins life as a spiky black crawler; the garden tiger moth starts out life as an extravagantly furred caterpillar. Rivka Galchen, The New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2023 The Walrus | August 9, 2023 | 3,500 words At Camp Erin, a group of boys from the same cabin name three caterpillars Gerry, Larry, and Harry. Longreads, 11 Aug. 2023 So the scientists suggest that some kind of bacteria inserted its genes into an asp caterpillar’s DNA long ago. Carlyn Kranking, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caterpillar.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English catyrpel, from Anglo-French *catepelose, literally, hairy cat

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of caterpillar was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near caterpillar

cateress

caterpillar

Caterpillar

Cite this Entry

“Caterpillar.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caterpillar. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

caterpillar

noun
cat·​er·​pil·​lar ˈkat-ə(r)-ˌpil-ər How to pronounce caterpillar (audio)
: the long wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth
also : any of various similar insect larvae (as of a sawfly)
Etymology

Noun

Middle English catyrpel "caterpillar," from an early French dialect word catepelose "caterpillar," literally, "hairy cat," from cate "female cat" and pelose "hairy," derived from Latin pilus "hair" — related to pile entry 5

Word Origin
On looking at a fuzzy caterpillar you might see a resemblance to another animal. One kind of caterpillar must have reminded some people of a bear and was at one time called a bear worm and later a woolly bear. In France long ago, the fuzzy caterpillars probably made some people think of little dogs. The French word for caterpillar is chenille, which comes from a Latin word for "little dog." But our word caterpillar comes from an early French dialect word, catepelose, which is made up of two words meaning "hairy cat." Pelose, meaning "hairy," was taken from Latin pilus, "hair." This Latin word is the same root that gives us our modern English word pile, meaning "a coat or surface of short furry hairs." Since many caterpillars are covered with such a coat, the name is very fitting.

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