| worm | 1. A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like. "There came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his hand. When the men of the country saw the worm hang on his hand, they said, This man must needs be a murderer." (Tyndale (Acts xxviii. 3, 4)) "'T is slander, Whose edge is sharper than the sword, whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile." (Shak) "When Cerberus perceived us, the great worm, His mouth he opened and displayed his tusks." (Longfellow) 2. Any small creeping animal or reptile, either entirely without feet, or with very short ones, including a great variety of animals; as, an earthworm; the blindworm. <zoology> Specifically: Any helminth; an entozoon. Any annelid. An insect larva. Same as Vermes. 3. An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one's mind with remorse. "The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul!" (Shak) 4. A being debased and despised. "I am a worm, and no man." (Ps. Xxii. 6) 5. Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm; as: The thread of a screw. "The threads of screws, when bigger than can be made in screw plates, are called worms." (Moxon) A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms. <anatomy> A short revolving screw, the threads of which drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into its teeth or cogs. <medicine> Worm abscess A worm wheel. Worm gearing. Worm gearing, gearing consisting of a worm and worm wheel working together. Worm grass. <botany> A tincture prepared from dried earthworms, oil of tartar, spirit of wine, etc. Worm wheel, a cogwheel having teeth formed to fit into the spiral spaces of a screw called a worm, so that the wheel may be turned by, or may turn, the worm; called also worm gear, and sometimes tangent wheel. Origin: OE. Worm, wurm, AS. Wyrm; akin to D. Worm, OS. & G. Wurm, Icel. Ormr, Sw. & Dan. Orm, Goth. Waorms, L. Vermis, Gr. A wood worm. Cf. Vermicelli, Vermilion, Vermin. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
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| worm abscess | Abscess due to parasitic worms or in which worms are found. Synonym: verminous abscess. (05 Mar 2000) |
| worm aneurysm | An aneurysm in horses caused by Strongylus vulgaris larvae; usually involving the mesenteric arteries. Synonym: worm aneurysm. (05 Mar 2000) |
| worm bark | The bark of Andira inermis, a leguminous tree of tropical America, used as an emetic, purgative, and anthelmintic. Synonym: cabbage tree, worm bark. Origin: West Indian native name (05 Mar 2000) |
| worm burden | <epidemiology> The number of worms an individual host carries. Sometimes directly measurable ( Ascaris ), sometimes only indirectly (schistosomiasis). (05 Dec 1998) |
| Worm, Ole | <person> Danish anatomist, 1588-1654. See: wormian bones. (05 Mar 2000) |
| worm-shell | <zoology> Any species of Vermetus. Source: Websters Dictionary (01 Mar 1998) |
| herring-worm disease | Infection with roundworms of the genus anisakis. Human infection results from the consumption of fish harboring roundworm larvae. The worms may cause acute nausea and vomiting or may penetrate into the wall of the digestive tract, where they give rise to eosinophilic granulomas in the stomach, intestine, or the omentum. (12 Dec 1998) |
| fleece worm | The larva of one of several species of blowflies which deposit eggs on sheep, causing myiasis. Synonym: fleece worm. (05 Mar 2000) |