1. [n]  any of numerous relatively small elongated soft-bodied animals especially of the phyla Annelida and Chaetognatha and Nematoda and Nemertea and Platyhelminthes; also many insect larvae
2. [n]  screw thread on a gear with the teeth of a worm wheel or rack
3. [n]  has a nasty or unethical character undeserving of respect
4. [v]  to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (esp. when struggling); "The prisoner writhed in discomfort."; "The child tried to wriggle free from his aunt's embrace."
5. [v]  move with slow, sinuous movements

Worm
A simple introduction to the physical characteristics, diet, life cycle, predators, habitat, and lifespan of worms

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1. \Worm\ (w[^u]rm), n. [OE. worm, wurm, AS. wyrm; akin to D.
   worm, OS. & G. wurm, Icel. ormr, Sw. & Dan. orm, Goth.
   wa['u]rms, L. vermis, Gr. ? a wood worm. Cf. {Vermicelli},
   {Vermilion}, {Vermin}.]
   1. A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a
      serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like. [Archaic]
            There came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his
            hand. When the men of the country saw the worm hang
            on his hand, they said, This man must needs be a
            murderer.                             --Tyndale
                                                  (Acts xxviii.
                                                  3, 4).
            'T is slander, Whose edge is sharper than the sword,
            whose tongue Outvenoms all the worms of Nile.
                                                  --Shak.
            When Cerberus perceived us, the great worm, His
            mouth he opened and displayed his tusks.
                                                  --Longfellow.
   2. Any small creeping animal or reptile, either entirely
      without feet, or with very short ones, including a great
      variety of animals; as, an earthworm; the blindworm.
      Specifically: (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) Any helminth; an entozo["o]n.
      (b) Any annelid.
      (c) An insect larva.
      (d) pl. Same as {Vermes}.
   3. An internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts
      one's mind with remorse.
            The worm of conscience still begnaw thy soul!
                                                  --Shak.
   4. A being debased and despised.
            I am a worm, and no man.              --Ps. xxii. 6.
   5. Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm; as:
      (a) The thread of a screw.
                The threads of screws, when bigger than can be
                made in screw plates, are called worms. --Moxon.
      (b) A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double
          corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.
      (c) (Anat.) A certain muscular band in the tongue of some
          animals, as the dog; the lytta. See {Lytta}.
      (d) The condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound
          to economize space. See Illust. of {Still}.
      (e) (Mach.) A short revolving screw, the threads of which
          drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into
          its teeth or cogs. See Illust. of {Worm gearing},
          below.
   {Worm abscess} (Med.), an abscess produced by the irritation
      resulting from the lodgment of a worm in some part of the
      body.
   {Worm fence}. See under {Fence}.
   {Worm gear}. (Mach.)
      (a) A worm wheel.
      (b) Worm gearing.
   {Worm gearing}, gearing consisting of a worm and worm wheel
      working together.
   {Worm grass}. (Bot.)
      (a) See {Pinkroot}, 2
      (a) .
      (b) The white stonecrop ({Sedum album}) reputed to have
          qualities as a vermifuge. --Dr. Prior.
   {Worm oil} (Med.), an anthelmintic consisting of oil obtained
      from the seeds of {Chenopodium anthelminticum}.
   {Worm powder} (Med.), an anthelmintic powder.
   {Worm snake}. (Zo["o]l.) See {Thunder snake}
      (b), under {Thunder}.
   {Worm tea} (Med.), an anthelmintic tea or tisane.
   {Worm tincture} (Med.), a tincture prepared from dried
      earthworms, oil of tartar, spirit of wine, etc. [Obs.]
   {Worm wheel}, a cogwheel having teeth formed to fit into the
      spiral spaces of a screw called a worm, so that the wheel
      may be turned by, or may turn, the worm; -- called also
      {worm gear}, and sometimes {tangent wheel}. See Illust. of
      {Worm gearing}, above.
   

2. \Worm\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Wormed}; p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Worming}.]
   To work slowly, gradually, and secretly.
         When debates and fretting jealousy Did worm and work
         within you more and more, Your color faded. --Herbert.
   

3. \Worm\, v. t.
   1. To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and
      secret means; -- often followed by out.
            They find themselves wormed out of all power.
                                                  --Swift.
            They . . . wormed things out of me that I had no
            desire to tell.                       --Dickens.
   2. To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge
      from, as a firearm. See {Worm}, n. 5
      (b) .
   3. To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of, as a
      dog, for the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw.
      The operation was formerly supposed to guard against
      canine madness.
            The men assisted the laird in his sporting parties,
            wormed his dogs, and cut the ears of his terrier
            puppies.                              --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
   4. (Naut.) To wind rope, yarn, or other material, spirally
      round, between the strands of, as a cable; to wind with
      spun yarn, as a small rope.
            Ropes . . . are generally wormed before they are
            served.                               --Totten.
   {To worm one's self into}, to enter into gradually by arts
      and insinuations; as, to worm one's self into favor.
   

1. Write-Once Read-Many

2. (From "Tapeworm" in John Brunner's novel "The Shockwave Rider", via XEROX PARC) A program that propagates itself over a network, reproducing itself as it goes. Compare virus. Nowadays the term has negative connotations, as it is assumed that only crackers write worms.

   Perhaps the best-known example was the Great Worm.

   Compare Trojan horse.

   [Jargon File]

(1.) Heb. sas (Isa. 51:8), denotes the caterpillar of the clothes-moth.

(2.) The manna bred worms (tola'im), but on the Sabbath there was not any worm (rimmah) therein (Ex. 16:20, 24). Here these words refer to caterpillars or larvae, which feed on corrupting matter.

These two Hebrew words appear to be interchangeable (Job 25:6; Isa. 14:11). Tola'im in some places denotes the caterpillar (Deut. 28:39; Jonah 4:7), and rimmah, the larvae, as bred from putridity (Job 17:14; 21:26; 24:20). In Micah 7:17, where it is said, "They shall move out of their holes like worms," perhaps serpents or "creeping things," or as in the Revised Version, "crawling things," are meant.

The word is used figuratively in Job 25:6; Ps. 22:6; Isa. 41:14; Mark 9:44, 46, 48; Isa. 66:24.