Definitions for: Caterpillar


[n] a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth
[n] (trademark) a large vehicle that is driven by caterpillar tracks; frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm work
[adj] having caterpillar treads or tracks on the wheels; "a caterpillar-tracked earthmover"



Webster (1913) Definition: Cat"er*pil`lar, n. [OE. catyrpel, corrupted fr.
OF. chatepelouse, or cate pelue, fr. chate, F. chatte,
she-cat, fem. of chat, L. catus + L. pilosus hairy, or F.
pelu hairy, fr. L. pilus hair. See Cat, and Pile hair.]
1. (Zo["o]l.) The larval state of a butterfly or any
lepidopterous insect; sometimes, but less commonly, the
larval state of other insects, as the sawflies, which are
also called false caterpillars. The true caterpillars have
three pairs of true legs, and several pairs of abdominal
fleshy legs (prolegs) armed with hooks. Some are hairy,
others naked. They usually feed on leaves, fruit, and
succulent vegetables, being often very destructive, Many
of them are popularly called worms, as the cutworm,
cankerworm, army worm, cotton worm, silkworm.

2. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Scorpiurus, with pods
resembling caterpillars.

Caterpillar catcher, or Caterpillar eater (Zo["o]l.), a
bird belonging to the family of Shrikes, which feeds on
caterpillars. The name is also given to several other
birds.

Caterpillar hunter (Zo["o]l.), any species of beetles of
the genus Callosoma and other allied genera of the
family Carabid[ae] which feed habitually upon
caterpillars.

Synonyms: cat, caterpillar-tracked, tracked

See Also: army worm, armyworm, beet armyworm, bollworm, cabbageworm, cankerworm, corn borer, cutworm, fall armyworm, giant silkworm, inchworm, lappet caterpillar, larva, Lepidoptera, looper, Manduca quinquemaculata, Manduca sexta, measuring worm, order Lepidoptera, Phthorimaea operculella, Pieris rapae, potato tuberworm, potato worm, Pseudaletia unipuncta, Pyrausta nubilalis, silkworm, Spodoptera exigua, Spodoptera frugiperda, tent caterpillar, tobacco hornworm, tomato hornworm, tomato worm, tracked vehicle, tussock caterpillar, webworm, wild wilkworm, woolly bear, woolly bear caterpillar

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