night crawler

noun

, Chiefly Northern, North Midland, and Western U.S.

1. an earthworm.

Word History and Origins

Origin of night crawler¹

An Americanism dating back to 1920–25

Example Sentences

Onyx, a 3-year-old dragon who arrived at the zoo in late 2020, is more of a morning lizard than a night crawler — he’s more agreeable and easier to handle early in the day before the sun warms his enclosure and his blood gets hotter.

From Washington Post

So I went into the night crawler business.

From Reuters

There was also the problem of them putting the odd item they found in the dust into their mouths; I saved the lives of a couple of beetles and a disoriented night crawler that way.

From Literature

Walleye are responding to Blade Baits and jigs tipped with a grub and a night crawler.

From Seattle Times

“Night Crawler: My daughter slept at a friend’s and woke up to a man tickling her.”

From Slate