Caterpillar

5 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Scorpion \Scor"pi*on\, n. [F., fr. L. scorpio, scorpius, Gr. ?,
     perhaps akin to E. sharp.]
     1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of pulmonate arachnids
        of the order {Scorpiones}, having a suctorial mouth, large
        claw-bearing palpi, and a caudal sting.
        [1913 Webster]


  
     Note: Scorpions have a flattened body, and a long, slender
           post-abdomen formed of six movable segments, the last
           of which terminates in a curved venomous sting. The
           venom causes great pain, but is unattended either with
           redness or swelling, except in the axillary or inguinal
           glands, when an extremity is affected. It is seldom if
           ever destructive of life. Scorpions are found widely
           dispersed in the warm climates of both the Old and New
           Worlds.
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     2. (Zool.) The pine or gray lizard ({Sceloporus undulatus}).
        [Local, U. S.]
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     3. (Zool.) The scorpene.
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     4. (Script.) A painful scourge.
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              My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will
              chastise you with scorpions.          --1 Kings xii.
                                                    11.
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     5. (Astron.) A sign and constellation. See {Scorpio}.
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     6. (Antiq.) An ancient military engine for hurling stones and
        other missiles.
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     {Book scorpion}. (Zool.) See under {Book}.
  
     {False scorpion}. (Zool.) See under {False}, and {Book
        scorpion}.
  
     {Scorpion bug}, or {Water scorpion} (Zool.) See {Nepa}.
  
     {Scorpion fly} (Zool.), a neuropterous insect of the genus
        {Panorpa}. See {Panorpid}.
  
     {Scorpion grass} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Myosotis}.
        {Myosotis palustris} is the {forget-me-not}.
  
     {Scorpion senna} (Bot.), a yellow-flowered leguminous shrub
        ({Coronilla Emerus}) having a slender joined pod, like a
        scorpion's tail. The leaves are said to yield a dye like
        indigo, and to be used sometimes to adulterate senna.
  
     {Scorpion shell} (Zool.), any shell of the genus Pteroceras.
        See {Pteroceras}.
  
     {Scorpion spiders}. (Zool.), any one of the Pedipalpi.
  
     {Scorpion's tail} (Bot.), any plant of the leguminous genus
        {Scorpiurus}, herbs with a circinately coiled pod; -- also
        called {caterpillar}.
  
     {Scorpion's thorn} (Bot.), a thorny leguminous plant
        ({Genista Scorpius}) of Southern Europe.
  
     {The Scorpion's Heart} (Astron.), the star Antares in the
        constellation Scorpio.
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From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Caterpillar \Cat"er*pil`lar\, n. [OE. catyrpel, corrupted fr.
     OF. chatepelouse, or cate pelue, fr. chate, F. chatte,
     she-cat, fem. of chat, L. catus + L. pilosus hairy, or F.
     pelu hairy, fr. L. pilus hair. See {Cat}, and {Pile} hair.]
     1. (Zool.) The larval state of a butterfly or any
        lepidopterous insect; sometimes, but less commonly, the
        larval state of other insects, as the sawflies, which are
        also called false caterpillars. The true caterpillars have
        three pairs of true legs, and several pairs of abdominal
        fleshy legs (prolegs) armed with hooks. Some are hairy,
        others naked. They usually feed on leaves, fruit, and
        succulent vegetables, being often very destructive, Many
        of them are popularly called worms, as the {cutworm},
        {cankerworm}, {army worm}, {cotton worm}, {silkworm}.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Scorpiurus}, with pods
        resembling caterpillars.
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     {Caterpillar catcher}, or {Caterpillar eater} (Zool.), a bird
        belonging to the family of Shrikes, which feeds on
        caterpillars. The name is also given to several other
        birds.
  
     {Caterpillar hunter} (Zool.), any species of beetles of the
        genus {Callosoma} and other allied genera of the family
        {Carabid[ae]} which feed habitually upon caterpillars.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  caterpillar
       n 1: a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny
            larva of a butterfly or moth
       2: a large vehicle that is driven by caterpillar tracks;
          frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm
          work [syn: {cat}]

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  30 Moby Thesaurus words for "caterpillar":
     arachnid, arthropod, aurelia, beetle, bug, centipede, chilopod,
     chrysalis, cocoon, daddy longlegs, diplopod, fly, grub, harvestman,
     hexapod, insect, larva, maggot, millepede, millipede, mite, nymph,
     nympha, pupa, scorpion, spider, tarantula, tick, wiggler,
     wriggler
  
  

From Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary [easton]:

  Caterpillar
     the consumer. Used in the Old Testament (1 Kings 8:37; 2 Chr.
     6:28; Ps. 78:46; Isa. 33:4) as the translation of a word (hasil)
     the root of which means "to devour" or "consume," and which is
     used also with reference to the locust in Deut. 28:38. It may
     have been a species of locust, or the name of one of the
     transformations through which the locust passes, locust-grub. It
     is also found (Ps. 105:34; Jer. 51:14, 27; R.V., "cankerworm")
     as the rendering of a different Hebrew word, _yelek_, a word
     elsewhere rendered "cankerworm" (q.v.), Joel 1:4; 2:25. (See {LOCUST}.)