Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “worm” come from?

Worm comes from Middle English wurm, from Old English wyrm, from Proto-Indo-European wr̥mis, ultimately derived from the root wer- meaning to turn or bend.

worm (English): A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid...

Definitions

  1. A generally tubular invertebrate of the annelid...

Ancestry of “worm”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1Middle EnglishwurmAlternative form of worm
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

Words derived from “worm”

  • tapeworm
  • wormhole
  • bookworm
  • ringworm
  • hookworm
  • wormy
  • wormlike
  • budworm
  • cutworm
  • roundworm
  • armyworm
  • heartworm
  • bollworm
  • rootworm
  • screwworm
  • flatworm
  • wireworm
  • hornworm
  • inchworm
  • woodworm
  • cankerworm
  • pinworm
  • mealworm
  • whipworm
Every word from Proto-Indo-European lewk- →