Worm Once Meant Dragon
A worm is a long limbless invertebrate. In Old English the word covered serpents and dragons.
A worm is a long limbless invertebrate. Old English *wyrm* covered far more: it meant a serpent, a dragon or any crawling creature, and the dragon Beowulf fights is called a *wyrm*. English folklore keeps this in the Lambton Worm and the Laidly Worm, both monstrous serpents rather than earthworms. The word narrowed to small burrowing creatures over centuries. *Worm* is not a biological category either, covering several unrelated phyla.
- A limbless invertebrate. *An earthworm.*
- A dragon (archaic). *The Lambton Worm.*
- A malicious program. *A computer worm.*
- To wriggle. *Worming his way in.*
- Old English — *wyrm*. *The source.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | worm | A worm. |
| Plural | worms | Worms. |
| Verb | worm | Worming. |
| Adjective | wormy | Wormy. |
| German | Wurm | A worm. |
- An earthworm in the soil.Animal.
- Wyrm meant a dragon.History.
- A computer worm.Modern.
Unrelated animals called worms
- Earthworms — annelids, segmented
- Flatworms — an entirely separate phylum
- Roundworms — another separate phylum
- Slow worms — legless lizards, not worms at all
- Woodworm — beetle larvae
Old English *wyrm*, a serpent or dragon, of Germanic origin, related to German *Wurm* and Latin *vermis*.
Did worm once mean dragon?
Yes. Old English wyrm covered serpents and dragons, and the dragon in Beowulf is called one.
Are all worms related?
No. The name covers several unrelated phyla, and a slow worm is actually a legless lizard.