caterpillar
caterpillar Lexical Profile
caterpillar Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The elongated, wormlike larval stage of a butterfly or moth (order Lepidoptera), having a segmented body, strong mandibles for feeding on foliage, true thoracic legs, and several pairs of fleshy abdominal prolegs.
"The bright green caterpillar chewed steadily through the milkweed leaves before spinning its chrysalis."
A heavy tracked vehicle, such as a bulldozer or tractor, propelled by continuous articulated steel bands passing around its wheels, or the endless track mechanism itself.
"The construction crew used a heavy caterpillar to clear the rocky terrain for the new highway."
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the 15th century from Anglo-Norman and Old Northern French catepelose, literally meaning 'hairy cat' (from Latin cattus 'cat' and pilosus 'hairy'), a folk reference to the fuzzy appearance of many species.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.