What does worm mean?
A worm is a soft-bodied, elongated invertebrate, most familiarly an earthworm, and it is also the word's principal biological meaning. In figurative use, a worm may refer to a parasitic or contemptible person and can sound strongly insulting. In computing, a worm is a program that copies itself and spreads through a network, sometimes causing disruption or damage. As a verb, worm describes moving in a twisting, gradual, or furtive way, as in worming through a narrow passage, and it can also mean extracting information through persistent questioning, as in worming a confession out of someone. The word is especially useful because it combines a concrete image of an animal moving through soil with ideas of infiltration, persistence, hidden information, and undesirability.
A soft-bodied, elongated invertebrate, especially an earthworm; by extension, a parasitic or contemptible person, or a self-replicating computer program.
"She found a worm in the compost and moved it to a safer part of the garden."
The figurative person sense is informal and derogatory.
To move or advance in a twisting, gradual, or furtive manner; to obtain information through persistent or subtle questioning.
"The reporter wormed the details out of several reluctant witnesses."
The expression worm one's way is idiomatic and commonly describes slow, indirect progress.
The standard plural is worms.
"Worms aerated the soil around the young plants."
English inherited worm from Old English wurm, whose Germanic relatives still preserve the same basic form.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does worm come from?
English worm descends from Old English wurm, a Germanic word carried forward through Middle English into its modern form. Its ancestor is generally identified with Proto-Germanic *wurmą, and it has close cognates in German Wurm and Dutch worm. The Latin stem verm- appears in related English vocabulary, including vermin, vermiform, vermivorous, and vermiculture.
Related word forms
How worm is actually used
The biological noun is neutral and common. The figurative noun is informal and often derogatory, while the verb worm is especially familiar in expressions such as worm one's way and worm information out of someone.
Easily confused with worm
A worm is a small elongated invertebrate, whereas warm describes a pleasant or moderately high temperature.
A worm is a living invertebrate, while worn means damaged through use or exhausted from activity.