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earthworm

UK/ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/US/ˈɜː(ɹ)θˌwɜː(ɹ)m/
nounB1+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #13,454 of 15,258neutral

Other forms: earthworms

An earthworm is a long soft creature that eats its way through soil. Dig up an earthworm, earthworms in the compost, count the earthworms.

Darwin spent forty years studying them and calculated that they turn over the whole surface soil of a country within a few years. Cutting one in half does not make two: the tail end dies, and the head end may survive if the cut is far enough back.

Rob Hille · CC BY-SA 3.0

Definitions of earthworm

  1. 1nounearthwormA long soft creature that eats its way through soil.B1+

    “After the rain, earthworms came up out of the lawn onto the wet path.”

earthworm is a creature.

Where it comes from

Middle English erthe-worm, earth plus worm, with the same compound in other Germanic languages.

  1. Middle English

    erthe-worm

  2. English, today

    earthworm

From Middle English erthe-worm, erþe-worm, erþe worm (also as worm of þe erthe, worm of þe erþe), equivalent to earth + worm. Compare stq Äidwurm (“earthworm”), West Frisian ierdwjirm (“earthworm”), Dutch aardworm (“earthworm”), less common German Erdwurm (“earthworm”).

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Insects & Sea Life

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earthworm in the wild

  • Through much of Europe, it is the largest naturally occurring species of earthworm, typically reaching 20 to 25 cm in length when extended.

    Lumbricus terrestris

  • The known species are literally the size and shape of earthworms, thus the family name.

    Earthworm eel

  • Almost nothing is known of the habits and biology of the earthworm eels.

    Earthworm eel

  • The giant Gippsland earthworm (Megascolides australis) is one of Australia's 1,000 native earthworm species.

    Giant Gippsland earthworm

  • Lake Pedder earthworms mainly fed on microbes or algae on sand particles.

    Lake Pedder earthworm

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.