Where does “pileworm” come from?

pileworm (English) comes from English pile, from French pile, from Old French pile, from Latin pila, from Latin pīlus, from Latin pīlum, from Proto-Italic pistlom, from Proto-Indo-European pis-tlo- — to grind, to crush.

pileworm (English): The teredo

Definitions

  1. The teredo

Ancestry of “pileworm”, step by step

pileworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

via English pile

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpileA mass of things heaped together; a heap; A group...
2Frenchpileheap, stack; pillar; battery
3Old Frenchpile
4Latinpilamortar; pillar; pier
5Latinpīlusa hair
6Latinpīluma pounder, pestle
7Proto-Italicpistlom
8Proto-Indo-Europeanpis-tlo-
9Proto-Indo-Europeanpeys-to grind, to crush

via English Worm

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishWormA generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid phylum; an earthworm
2Middle EnglishwormA worm or similar small wormlike animal that...
3Old Englishwyrmcreeping insect; maggot, grub, worm; snake,...
4Old Englishlēahmeadow; clearing with a pigsty; woodland,...
5Proto-West Germaniclauhclearing; meadow
6Proto-Germaniclauhazclearing; meadow
7Proto-Indo-Europeanlówkosclearing; open space, clearing; field, meadow
8Proto-Indo-Europeanlewḱ-lynx
9Proto-Indo-Europeanlewk-bright; to shine; to see
Every word from Proto-Indo-European peys-