Definition of "worm" in Anglais

noun

1. A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm.

2. More loosely, any of various tubular invertebrates resembling annelids but not closely related to them, such as velvet worms, acorn worms, flatworms, or roundworms.

3. (archaic or poetic) Any creeping or crawling animal, such as a snake, snail, or caterpillar.

   • 1561, Geneva Bible, Acts 28:3-4, And when Paul had gathered a nomber of stickes, & laid them on the fyre, there came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his hand. Now when the Barbarians sawe the worme hang on his hand, they said among them selues This man surely is a murtherer, whome, thogh he hathe escaped the sea, yet Vengeance hathe not suffred to liue.

4. (archaic) A type of wingless "dragon", especially a gigantic sea serpent or any kind of dragon.

5. A contemptible or devious being.

   • Don't try to run away, you little worm!

6. (computing) A self-replicating program that propagates through a network, differing from a virus in usually lacking any destructive effects.

   • When Trevor opened his email, a worm spread to 100 people in his address book.

7. (cricket) A graphical representation of the total runs scored across a number of overs.

8. Anything helical, especially the thread of a screw.

9. (informal or poetic) A maggot.

   • Food for the worms.

10. (figuratively) An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one’s mind with remorse.

11. (mathematics) A strip of linked tiles sharing parallel edges in a tiling.

12. (anatomy) The lytta.

13. (preceded by definite article) A dance, or dance move, in which the dancer lies on the floor and undulates the body horizontally thereby moving forwards.

verb

1. (transitive) To make (one's way) with a crawling motion.

   • We wormed our way through the underbrush.

2. (intransitive) To move with one's body dragging the ground.

3. (intransitive, figuratively) To work one's way by artful or devious means.

4. (transitive, figuratively) To work (one's way or oneself) (into) gradually or slowly; to insinuate.

   • He wormed his way into the organization.

5. (often followed by out) To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means.

6. (transitive, figuratively, in “worm out of”) To drag out of, to get information that someone is reluctant or unwilling to give (through artful or devious means or by pleading or asking repeatedly).