caterpillar
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caterpillar
- /ˈkætəˌpɪlə/ UK
- /ˈkætɚˌpɪlɚ/ US
- /ˈkætəˌpɪlɚ/ US
Where it comes from
From Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably from Old Northern French catepeluse (Modern French chatte + pileuse (“hairy cat”)), from Late Latin catta + pilōsa. The sense "rapacious, extortionate person" arose by association with obsolete piller (“plunderer”). See Modern Norman cattepeleuse. Displaced native kaleworm, from Middle English cowle worm, cale worme (“caterpillar, corn weevil”), from Old English cawelwyrm, cawelwurm (“caterpillar”).
noun caterpillars · caterpiller
- The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm. The bird just ate that green caterpillar.
- A vehicle with a caterpillar track; a crawler.
- A set of subtrees of a tree.
- A rapacious, extortionate person preying upon the community. Bristow Castle, which they say is held / By Busbie, Bagot, and their Complices, / The Caterpillers of the Commonwealth, / Which I haue sworne to weed, and plucke away.
verb caterpillars · caterpillaring · caterpillared · caterpiller
- To move along slowly, drawing one's body up, in the manner of a caterpillar.
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: cat, tracked, caterpillar-tracked, moth, larval, larva, flower, chenille, track, hose, crawler, larvae, caterpiller, leafworm, leaf-worm, slug caterpillar
Translations
Every language
noun larva of a butterfly or moth
| Español | oruga, cuncuna, convólvulo, revoltón, teña |
|---|---|
| 한국어 | 모충 mochung, 애벌레 aebeolle |
| 日本語 | 毛虫 kemushi, 芋虫 imomushi |
| 中文 | 毛毛蟲 /毛毛虫 máomáochóng, 毛蟲 /毛虫 máochóng |
| हिन्दी | इल्ली illī, पोका pokā |
| Kiswahili | kiwavi |
| Português | lagarta |
| Français | chenille |
| Deutsch | Raupe |
| Italiano | bruco |
| Ελληνικά | κάμπια kámpia |
| Română | omidă |
| Русский | гу́сеница gúsenica |
| Tiếng Việt | sâu, sâu róm, sâu bướm |
| العربية | يَرَقَة yaraqa, دُودَة الْفَرَاشَة dūdat al-farāša, يَسْرُوع yasrūʕ |
| עברית | זַחַל zakhal |
noun vehicle with a caterpillar track
| Español | oruga, tractor de oruga |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | キャタピラ kyatapira, 無限軌道 mugen kidō |
| 中文 | 履帶式車輛 /履带式车辆 lǚdàishì chēliàng |
| Kiswahili | katapila |
| Português | veículo com lagartas |
| Deutsch | Raupe, Raupenfahrzeug |
| Ελληνικά | ερπυστριοφόρος ελκυστήρας erpystriofóros elkystíras |
| Română | șenilă |
| Русский | гу́сеничный тра́ктор gúseničnyj tráktor |
Talk about this word "caterpillar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/caterpillar. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. caterpillar. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/caterpillar "caterpillar." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/caterpillar.Cite this
@misc{caterpillar_2026,
title = {caterpillar},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/caterpillar},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
