caterpillar

¹ American  

[kat-uh-pil-er, kat-er-] / ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər- /

noun

1. the wormlike larva of a butterfly or a moth.

2. a person who preys on others; extortioner.

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Caterpillar ² American  

[kat-uh-pil-er, kat-er-] / ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər- /

Trademark.

1. a tractor intended for rough terrain, propelled by two endless belts or tracks that pass over a number of wheels.

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caterpillar ¹ British  

/ ˈkætəˌpɪlə /

noun

1. the wormlike larva of butterflies and moths, having numerous pairs of legs and powerful biting jaws. It may be brightly coloured, hairy, or spiny

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Caterpillar ² British  

/ ˈkætəˌpɪlə /

noun

1. an endless track, driven by sprockets or wheels, used to propel a heavy vehicle and enable it to cross soft or uneven ground

2. a vehicle, such as a tractor, tank, bulldozer, etc, driven by such tracks

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caterpillar Scientific  

/ kăt′ər-pĭl′ər /

1. The wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth. Caterpillars have thirteen body segments, with three pairs of stubby legs on the thorax and several on the abdomen, six eyes on each side of the head, and short antennae. Caterpillars feed mostly on foliage and are usually brightly colored. Many have poisonous spines.

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Etymology

Origin of caterpillar

1400–50; late Middle English catyrpel, probably alteration of an Old North French variant of Old French chatepelose, equivalent to chate cat ( def. ) + pelose hairy (≪ Latin pilōsus; pilose ); -yr probably by association with cater tomcat ( caterwaul ); final -er probably by association with piller despoiler ( pillage, -er ¹ ); chenille

Example Sentences

“This is something I wrote for school. It’s about a caterpillar.”

From Literature

A boat that resembles an army tank, complete with caterpillar tracks and a periscope, slides past us on the left, putting us dead last.

From Literature

They are being carried by Crawler‑Transporter‑2, a low‑slung, tank‑like vehicle on caterpillar tracks that Nasa built in 1965 to inch Saturn V Moon rockets to the pad.

From BBC

Out on this windswept fell, she felt exposed, like a caterpillar dangling on a thread.

From Literature

At the same time, rainfall can knock caterpillars off plants, reducing the main food source that growing chicks rely on to meet their high energy demands.

From Science Daily