caterpillar

CEFRC1

/ˈkætəˌpɪlə/

noun

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    noun

    A small insect that later becomes a butterfly or moth.

  2. 02

    noun

    Extra detail

    A set of subtrees of a tree.

Examples

  • The caterpillar spins the silk around its entire body.

  • This caterpillar will become a beautiful butterfly.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
5
Parts of speech
1
Citations
2

Deep Dive

noun

Extra meanings

  1. A vehicle with a caterpillar track; a crawler.

  2. The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm.

  3. A rapacious, extortionate person preying upon the community.

More examples

In context

  • A butterfly is a mature caterpillar.

  • The bird just ate that green caterpillar.

  • 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.

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The small blank slowly munched on a large green leaf.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

noun

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”).