Where does “slugworm” come from?

slugworm (English) comes from English Worm, from Middle English worm, from Old English wyrm, from Old English lēah, from Proto-West Germanic lauh, from Proto-Germanic lauhaz, from Proto-Indo-European lówkos, from Proto-Indo-European lewḱ- — bright; to shine; to see.

slugworm (English): Any caterpillar which has the general appearance...

Definitions

  1. Any caterpillar which has the general appearance...

Ancestry of “slugworm”, step by step

slugworm traces back through two separate lines of ancestry.

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

via English slug

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishslugAny of many terrestrial pulmonate gastropod...
2Middle Englishsluggelazy person
3Old English*sliċ
4Proto-Germanic*sliki
5Proto-Germanic*slikiz
6Proto-Indo-Europeansleyǵ-to glide, smooth, spread; to smear; to creep; to...
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk-
slugworm — Etymology, Origin & Word History | Etymology Explorer