About The Word Caterpillar

Bay Area Crosswords

Learn about the word Caterpillar to help solve your crossword puzzle. Discover Caterpillar definitions and meaning, origins, synonyms, related terms and more at the free Crossword Dictionary.

Caterpillar

Caterpillar Meaning & Definition
Caterpillar Definition And Meaning

What's The Definition Of Caterpillar?

[n] a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth
[n] (trademark) a large vehicle that is driven by caterpillar tracks; frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm work
[adj] having caterpillar treads or tracks on the wheels; "a caterpillar-tracked earthmover"

Synonyms | Synonyms for Caterpillar: cat | caterpillar-tracked | tracked

Related Terms | Find terms related to Caterpillar: arachnid | arthropod | aurelia | beetle | bug | centipede | chilopod | chrysalis | cocoon | daddy longlegs | diplopod | fly | grub | harvestman | hexapod | insect | larva | maggot | millepede | millipede | mite | nymph | nympha | pupa | scorpion | spider | tarantula | tick | wiggler | wriggler

See Also | army worm | armyworm | beet armyworm | bollworm | cabbageworm | cankerworm | corn borer | cutworm | fall armyworm | giant silkworm | inchworm | lappet caterpillar | larva | Lepidoptera | looper | Manduca quinquemaculata | Manduca sexta | measuring worm | order Lepidoptera | Phthorimaea operculella | Pieris rapae | potato tuberworm | potato worm | Pseudaletia unipuncta | Pyrausta nubilalis | silkworm | Spodoptera exigua | Spodoptera frugiperda | tent caterpillar | tobacco hornworm | tomato hornworm | tomato worm | tracked vehicle | tussock caterpillar | webworm | wild wilkworm | woolly bear | woolly bear caterpillar

Caterpillar In Webster's Dictionary

\Cat"er*pil`lar\, n. [OE. catyrpel, corrupted fr. OF. chatepelouse, or cate pelue, fr. chate, F. chatte, she-cat, fem. of chat, L. catus + L. pilosus hairy, or F. pelu hairy, fr. L. pilus hair. See {Cat}, and {Pile} hair.] 1. (Zo["o]l.) The larval state of a butterfly or any lepidopterous insect; sometimes, but less commonly, the larval state of other insects, as the sawflies, which are also called false caterpillars. The true caterpillars have three pairs of true legs, and several pairs of abdominal fleshy legs (prolegs) armed with hooks. Some are hairy, others naked. They usually feed on leaves, fruit, and succulent vegetables, being often very destructive, Many of them are popularly called worms, as the cutworm, cankerworm, army worm, cotton worm, silkworm. 2. (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Scorpiurus}, with pods resembling caterpillars. {Caterpillar catcher}, or {Caterpillar eater} (Zo["o]l.), a bird belonging to the family of Shrikes, which feeds on caterpillars. The name is also given to several other birds. {Caterpillar hunter} (Zo["o]l.), any species of beetles of the genus {Callosoma} and other allied genera of the family {Carabid[ae]} which feed habitually upon caterpillars.

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