caterpillar
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Related to caterpillar: Komatsu
Cat·er·pil·lar
(kăt′ər-pĭl′ər, kăt′ə-) A trademark for a tractor equipped with continuous chain treads.
cat·er·pil·lar
(kăt′ər-pĭl′ər, kăt′ə-)n.
1. The wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth.
2. Any of various insect larvae similar to those of the butterfly or moth.
[Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably alteration of Old North French *catepelose : cate, cat (from Latin cattus) + pelose, hairy (from Latin pilōsus; see pilose).]
Word History: Larvae of moths and butterflies are popularly seen as resembling other, larger animals. Consider the Italian dialect word gatta, "cat, caterpillar"; the German dialect term tüfelskatz, "caterpillar" (literally "devil's cat"); the French word chenille, "caterpillar" (from a Vulgar Latin diminutive, *canīcula, of canis, "dog"); and last but not least, our own word caterpillar, which appears probably to have come from an unattested Old North French word *catepelose, meaning literally "hairy cat." Our word caterpillar is first recorded in English in 1440 in the form catyrpel. Catyr, the first part of catyrpel, may indicate the existence of an English word *cater, meaning "tomcat," otherwise attested only in caterwaul. *Cater would be cognate with Middle High German kater and Dutch kater. The latter part of catyrpel seems to have become associated with the word piller, "plunderer." By giving the variant spelling -ar, Samuel Johnson's influential Dictionary set the spelling caterpillar with which we are familiar today.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
caterpillar
(ˈkætəˌpɪlə)n
(Zoology) the wormlike larva of butterflies and moths, having numerous pairs of legs and powerful biting jaws. It may be brightly coloured, hairy, or spiny
[C15 catyrpel, probably from Old Northern French catepelose, literally: hairy cat]
Caterpillar
(ˈkætəˌpɪlə)n
1. (Mechanical Engineering) an endless track, driven by sprockets or wheels, used to propel a heavy vehicle and enable it to cross soft or uneven ground
2. (Mechanical Engineering) a vehicle, such as a tractor, tank, bulldozer, etc, driven by such tracks
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
cat•er•pil•lar
(ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər-)n.
the larva of a butterfly or a moth, having biting mouthparts, a long segmented body with several pairs of legs and prolegs, and a spinneret.
[1400–50; catyrpel, probably Old French chatepelose=chate cat + pelose hairy (« Latin pilōsus; see pilose)]
Cat•er•pil•lar
(ˈkæt əˌpɪl ər, ˈkæt ər-) Trademark. a tractor intended for rough terrain, propelled by two endless belts or tracks that pass over a number of wheels.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
cat·er·pil·lar
(kăt′ər-pĭl′ər) The worm-like larva of a butterfly or moth, often having fine hairs or brightly colored patterns. Caterpillars feed on plants.
The American Heritage® Student Science Dictionary, Second Edition. Copyright © 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
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| Noun | 1. |  caterpillar - a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or mothLepidoptera, order Lepidoptera - moths and butterflies tussock caterpillar - larva of a tussock moth cankerworm - green caterpillar of a geometrid moth; pest of various fruit and shade trees inchworm, looper, measuring worm - small hairless caterpillar having legs on only its front and rear segments; mostly larvae of moths of the family Geometridae Phthorimaea operculella, potato tuberworm - larva of potato moth; mines in leaves and stems of e.g. potatoes and tobacco cutworm - North American moth whose larvae feed on young plant stems cutting them off at the ground army worm, armyworm, Pseudaletia unipuncta - noctuid moth larvae that travel in multitudes destroying especially grass and grain beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua - moth larva that eats foliage of beets and other vegetables fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda - larva of a migratory American noctuid moth; destroys grasses and small grains Manduca sexta, tobacco hornworm, tomato worm - large green white-striped hawkmoth larva that feeds on tobacco and related plants; similar to tomato hornworm Manduca quinquemaculata, potato worm, tomato hornworm - large green white-striped hawkmoth larva that feeds on tomato and potato plants; similar to tobacco hornworm silkworm - the commercially bred hairless white caterpillar of the domestic silkworm moth which spins a cocoon that can be processed to yield silk fiber; the principal source of commercial silk giant silkworm, wild wilkworm, silkworm - larva of a saturniid moth; spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon tent caterpillar - the larvae of moths that build and live in communal silken webs in orchard and shade trees lappet caterpillar - larva of a lappet moth webworm - several gregarious moth larvae that spin webs over foliage on which they feed corn borer, Pyrausta nubilalis - larva of the European corn borer moth; a serious pest of maize bollworm - any of various moth caterpillars that destroy cotton bolls cabbageworm, Pieris rapae - toxic green larva of a cabbage butterfly woolly bear, woolly bear caterpillar - caterpillar of numerous moths characterized by a dense coat of woolly hairs; feed on plants and some are destructive pests larva - the immature free-living form of most invertebrates and amphibians and fish which at hatching from the egg is fundamentally unlike its parent and must metamorphose |
| 2. | Caterpillar - a large tracked vehicle that is propelled by two endless metal belts; frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm work tracked vehicle - a self-propelled vehicle that moves on tracks trademark - a formally registered symbol identifying the manufacturer or distributor of a product |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
Translations
جَرّارَةٌ مُجَنْزَرَةٌدودَةٌ، فَراشَةٌيُسْروع
housenkapásový
kålormsommerfuglelarvebælte-
كرم صدپا
toukka
gusjenica
hernyóhernyótalpashernyótalpas traktor
beltadráttarvélfiîrildislirfa, tólffótungurlirfa
イモムシ
애벌레
eruca
vikšrasvikšrinis
kāpurķēžu-kāpurs
húsenicapásový
gosenica
gusenica
fjärilslarvmallarv
หนอนผีเสื้อ
tırtıltırtıllı
sâu bướm
caterpillar
[ˈkætəpɪləʳ]Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
caterpillar
[ˈkætərpɪlər] n [butterfly, moth] → chenille fCaterpillar track® [ˈkætərpɪlər] n → chenille fCaterpillar® tractor [ˈkætərpɪlər] n → autochenille fCollins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
caterpillar
n
(Zool) → Raupe f
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
caterpillar
(ˈkӕtəpilə) noun the larva of a butterfly or moth that feeds upon the leaves of plants. There's a caterpillar on this lettuce.
adjective moving on endless belts. a caterpillar tractor.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
caterpillar
→ يُسْروع housenka kålorm Raupe κάμπια oruga toukka chenille gusjenica bruco イモムシ 애벌레 rups kålorm gąsienica lagarta гусеница fjärilslarv หนอนผีเสื้อ tırtıl sâu bướm 毛虫Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009