often attributive
1
a
: earthworm
broadly
: an annelid worm
b
: any of numerous relatively small elongated usually naked and soft-bodied animals (such as a grub, pinworm, tapeworm, shipworm, or slowworm)
2
a
: a human being who is an object of contempt, loathing, or pity : wretch
b
: something that torments or devours from within
4
: helminthiasis
—usually used in plural
5
: something (such as a mechanical device) spiral or vermiculate in form or appearance: such as
a
: the thread of a screw
b
: a short revolving screw whose threads gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or a rack
c
: archimedes' screw
also
: a conveyor working on the principle of such a screw
6
: a usually small self-contained and self-replicating computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a destructive action
wormed; worming; worms
: to move or proceed sinuously or insidiously
1
a
: to proceed or make (one's way) insidiously or deviously
worm their way into positions of power—
Bill Franzen
Bill Franzen
b
: to insinuate or introduce (oneself) by devious or subtle means
c
: to cause to move or proceed in or as if in the manner of a worm
2
: to wind rope or yarn spirally round and between the strands of (a cable or rope) before serving
3
: to obtain or extract by artful or insidious questioning or by pleading, asking, or persuading
—usually used with out of
finally wormed the truth out of him
4
: to treat (an animal) with a drug to destroy or expel parasitic worms
Synonyms
Examples of worm in a Sentence
Noun
I often see worms in the garden.
We always used worms as bait for fishing.
Verb
He slowly wormed through the crowd.
He slowly wormed his way through the crowd.
You should have the dog vaccinated and wormed.
Recent Examples on the Web
Aria Bendix, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
Nematodes are microscopic worms and great examples of biological control agents.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024
Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
By seizing on real concerns about disaster recovery, Russia’s disinformation agencies can worm their way into U.S. discourse, using hot-button issues to undermine Americans’ trust in their government and each other.
—David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for worm 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine During the pandemic, fringe groups touted two antiparasitic drugs as treatments for Covid: ivermectin, typically used for worm infections, and hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria and certain autoimmune conditions.
—Aria Bendix, NBC News, 15 Nov. 2024
Nematodes are microscopic worms and great examples of biological control agents.
—Katie Liu, Discover Magazine, 11 Nov. 2024
Verb
Keep your pet’s vaccines and worming medications up-to-date since they can be exposed to rabies, canine distemper and other parasites from raccoons and their waste.
—Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 31 Oct. 2024
By seizing on real concerns about disaster recovery, Russia’s disinformation agencies can worm their way into U.S. discourse, using hot-button issues to undermine Americans’ trust in their government and each other.
—David Klepper, The Christian Science Monitor, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for worm
Articles Related to worm
Dictionary Entries Near worm
Cite this Entry
“Worm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/worm. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
worm
1 of 2 noun1
a
b
: any of various long creeping or crawling animals (as a grub or tapeworm) that usually have soft bodies
2
: a person who is hated or pitied : wretch
3
plural
: infection with or disease caused by parasitic worms
4
: something in the form of a coil
5
: a usually small self-contained and self-replicating computer program that invades computers on a network and usually performs a destructive action compare trojan horse sense 2, virus sense 3
worm
2 of 2 verb1
: to obtain by cleverness or trickery or by pleading or persuading
wormed the truth out of him
2
: to move, go, or work slowly in the manner of a worm
wormed out of the trap
wormed my way into a job
3
: to rid (as a dog) of parasitic worms
Medical Definition
worm
1 of 2 noun1
: any of various relatively small elongated usually naked and soft-bodied parasitic animals (as of the phylum Platyhelminthes)
2
: helminthiasis
—usually used in plural
a dog with worms
worm
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to treat (an animal) with a drug to destroy or expel parasitic worms
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