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sandworm

American  
[sand-wurm] / ˈsændˌwɜrm /

noun

  1. any of several marine worms that live in sand.

  2. clamworm.


sandworm British  
/ ˈsændˌwɜːm /

noun

  1. any of various polychaete worms that live in burrows on sandy shores, esp the lugworm

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of sandworm

First recorded in 1770–80; sand + worm

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

But ego isn’t just Chalamet’s engine, it’s also his muse, whether he’s swinging a paddle, riding a sandworm or strumming a guitar as Bob Dylan.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 10, 2026

Rory turns into sandworm fodder the second he admits his slimy MO, suggesting that the smarmy leech was beyond redemption.

From Salon • Sep. 9, 2024

In the “Dune” movies, a gigantic sandworm can rise from the desert and devour soldiers and military vehicles in its gaping maw.

From New York Times • Mar. 15, 2024

On smoothness and softness alone, this rules out any strong structural relation between an earthworm and Chalamet’s sandworm, which in the films appears to have some sort of free-edged plate ringing its body instead.

From Slate • Mar. 8, 2024

Worms are represented in the minds of most people by the common earthworm or sandworm.

From The Doctrine of Evolution Its Basis and Its Scope by Crampton, Henry Edward