Worm

·noun Any annelid.

II. Worm ·noun An insect larva.

III. Worm ·noun The thread of a screw.

IV. Worm ·noun A being debased and despised.

V. Worm ·vi To work slowly, gradually, and secretly.

VI. Worm ·noun ·same·as Vermes.

VII. Worm ·noun Any helminth; an Entozoon.

VIII. Worm ·noun Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm.

IX. Worm ·noun An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one's mind with remorse.

X. Worm ·vt To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means;

— often followed by out.

XI. Worm ·vt To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a firearm. ·see Worm, ·noun 5 (b).

XII. Worm ·noun A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.

XIII. Worm ·noun A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like.

XIV. Worm ·noun The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to economize space. ·see ·Illust. of Still.

XV. Worm ·noun A certain muscular band in the tongue of some animals, as the dog; the lytta. ·see Lytta.

XVI. Worm ·noun To wind rope, yarn, or other material, spirally round, between the strands of, as a cable; to wind with spun yarn, as a small rope.

XVII. Worm ·noun 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.

XVIII. Worm ·noun A short revolving screw, the threads of which drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into its teeth or cogs. ·see ·Illust. of Worm gearing, below.

XIX. Worm ·noun To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of, as a dog, for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw. The operation was formerly supposed to guard against canine madness.