worm — [C]

(not ‘worms’ in the real sense) the young of any insect in their larval stage, with a soft body, which grow into the adult insect form in the later stage; e.g. caterpillars, grub, maggots, etc.

Some soft-bodied creatures that have the word ‘worm’ in their names but are not ‘worms’ in the real sense are: railroad worm, woodworm, glow worm, inchworm, mealworm, silkworm, blind worm, ring worm, whipworm, bookworm, etc.

railroad worm: an insect, belongs to the beetle family; the female glows;

woodworm: an insect, belongs to the beetle family; the larva makes holes in the wood;

inch worm: the larva of this moth an insect that belongs to the moth family;

meal worm: an insect that belongs to the beetle family; the larva of this beetle feeds on the grain and cereals;

silkworm

silkworm: an insect that belongs to the moth family; the larva of this moth feeds on leaves – very useful ‘worm’, silk cloth is made from the caterpillars of this moth;

blindworm

blindworm: (also called ‘slow-worm’): a kind of lizard without legs, looks like a snake;

ringworm

ringworm: not a worm in any sense – it is a skin fungus;

shipworm: a kind of shellfish (mollusc) – bivalve (double-shelled animal) – salt-water clam that eats away wet wood and things made of wood, such as ships, piers and other wooden things that are wet;

bookworm: not a particular type of worm – the larva of any insect, moth or beetle, that damages books by eating away the paper or the bindings of books; and

screwworm: a kind of insect – the larva of a screwworm fly.

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