caterpillar · Contextualize

Etymology

From Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably from Old Northern French catepeluse (Modern French chatte + pileuse (“hairy cat”)), from Late Latin catta + pilōsa. The sense "rapacious, extortionate person" arose by association with obsolete piller (“plunderer”). See Modern Norman cattepeleuse. Displaced native kaleworm, from Middle English cowle worm, cale worme (“caterpillar, corn weevil”), from Old English cawelwyrm, cawelwurm (“caterpillar”).

derived from catta
derived from catepeluse
inherited from catirpel

Definitions

1
The larva of a butterfly or moth
The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm.
- The bird just ate that green caterpillar.
- A caterpillar is letting itself down on a thread, twirling slowly like a rope artist, spiralling towards his chest. It’s a luscious, unreal green, like a gumdrop, and covered with tiny bright hairs.
A vehicle with a caterpillar track
A vehicle with a caterpillar track; a crawler.
A set of subtrees of a tree.
›+ 2 more definitionsshow fewer
1. 4
  A rapacious, extortionate person preying upon the community.
  - Bristow Castle, which they say is held By Busbie, Bagot, and their Complices, The Caterpillers of the Commonwealth, Which I haue sworne to weed, and plucke away.
2. To move along slowly, drawing one's body up, in the manner of a caterpillar.

The neighborhood

Derived

alfalfa caterpillar, caterpillar catcher, Caterpillar Club, caterpillar eater, caterpillared, caterpillar fungus, caterpillar hunter, caterpillarization, caterpillarize, caterpillarlike, caterpillar roll, caterpillar searcher, caterpillar skiing, caterpillar track, caterpillar tree, Christmas caterpillar, eastern tent caterpillar, forest caterpillar hunter, hog caterpillar, looper caterpillar, monarch caterpillar, Polyphemus caterpillar, processionary caterpillar, pseudocaterpillar, puss caterpillar, red-humped caterpillar, saddleback caterpillar, salt-marsh caterpillar, sea caterpillar, slug caterpillar, tent caterpillar, vegetable caterpillar, woolly bear caterpillar, zebra caterpillar

Vish — recursive loop

A definitional loop anchored at caterpillar. Each word in the ring is defined by the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself. Scroll to it and watch.

A definitional loop anchored at caterpillar. Each word in the ring appears in the definition of the next; follow the chain far enough and it folds back on itself.

5 hops · closes at caterpillar

curated · pre-corpus. live cycle detection across the full graph is the next major milestone.