noun, verb, slang ·Moderate ·College level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   The larva of a moth of the family Geometridae.
2. 2
   small hairless caterpillar having legs on only its front and rear segments; mostly larvae of moths of the family Geometridae wordnet

Verb

1. 1
   To move in a looping fashion, like an inchworm. idiomatic, informal, intransitive
2. 2
   To crawl or creep slowly. idiomatic, informal, intransitive

Synonyms

All synonyms

geometridgeometridlooperloopermeasuring wormmeasuring worm

Example

More examples

"Like the moth of the inchworm it climbs trees to lay its eggs, but can be prevented by the use of tar on the trunk."

Etymology

From inch + worm. So called because their gradual movement seems to be measuring the ground; compare measuring worm.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.