worm

worm¹ [wə:m US wə:rm] n

[: Old English; Origin: wyrm 'snake, worm']

1.) a long thin creature with no bones and no legs that lives in soil

→↑earthworm, ↑lugworm

2.) the young form of an insect, which looks like a short worm

→↑glow-worm, ↑silkworm, ↑woodworm

3.) have worms

if a person or animal has worms, they have legless ↑parasites (=small creatures that eat their food or their blood) in their body

→↑roundworm, ↑tapeworm

4.) someone who you do not like or respect

5.) a type of computer ↑virus that can make copies of itself and destroy information on computers that are connected to each other

6.) the worm turns

literary used to say that someone who normally obeys someone without complaining suddenly refuses to do this

→can of worms at ↑can² (4)

worm ²

worm² v [T]

1.) worm (your way) into/through etc sth

to move through a small place or a crowd slowly, carefully, or with difficulty

▪ He wormed his way under the fence.

2.) worm your way into sb's affections/heart/confidence etc

to gradually make someone love or trust you, especially by being dishonest

3.) worm your way out of (doing) sth

to avoid doing something that you have been asked to do by making an excuse that is dishonest but clever

▪ Steve wormed his way out of going to the meeting.

4.) to give an animal medicine in order to remove ↑parasites that live inside it

worm out of [worm sth out of sb] phr v

to get information from someone who does not want to give it