caterpillar

Noun

a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth
a large tracked vehicle that is propelled by two endless metal belts; frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm work
The larva of a butterfly or moth; leafworm.
A vehicle with a caterpillar track; a crawler.
A set of subtrees of a tree.
A rapacious, extortionate person preying upon the community.

Verb

To move along slowly, drawing one's body up, in the manner of a caterpillar.

Examples

The bird just ate that green caterpillar.

Origin / Etymology

From Middle English catirpel, catirpeller, probably from Old Northern French catepeluse (Modern French chatte + pileuse (“hairy cat”)), from Late Latin catta + pilōsa. The sense "rapacious, extortionate person" arose by association with obsolete piller (“plunderer”). See Modern Norman cattepeleuse.

Synonyms

cat

Scrabble Score: 15

caterpillar: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
caterpillar: not valid in Scrabble (MW) Merriam-Webster Dictionary
caterpillar: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 19

caterpillar: valid Words With Friends Word