n. A conical winding-drum having a spiral groove in which the winding rope or chain lies as it is wound upon the drum, the object being to wind the rope at first over the smaller diameter of the cone, and to increase the leverage as the winding proceeds. A common example is the brake-chain worm of a railroad car at the lower end of a brake-shaft.n. The driving element in screw-gearing or worm-gearing; the helix whose section is that of a wheel-tooth described upon a cylinder as a base which bears upon the tooth of the worm-wheel to cause the latter to revolve.n. In popular language, any small creeping creature whose body consists of a number of movable joints or rings, and whose limbs are very short or entirely wanting; any vermiform animal.n. Any annelid, as the earthworm, lobworm or lugworm, leech, etc. See the distinctive names.n. Any helminth, whether parasitic or not, as a flat-worm, brain-worm, fluke-worm, roundworm, tapeworm, pinworm, hairworm, threadworm, spoonworm, longworm, whirl-worm, guinea-worm, etc. See such words, and vinegar-eel.n. One of several long slender vermiform echinoderms, as some holothurians and related forms. See Vermiformia, and cuts under Synapta and trepang.n. Some small or slender acarine or mite, or its larva, as the worm found in sebaceous follicles. See comedo and Demodex.n. A myriapod; a contiped or milleped; a gally-worm.n. The larva, grub, maggot, or caterpillar of many true hexapod insects: as, bag-worm; boll-worm; book-worm; wire-worm; sod-worm; snake-worm; joint-worm; silkworms. See the compounded and otherwise qualified names.n. The adult of some true insects whose body is long and flexible, as a glow-worm.n. One of several long slender crustaceans with short legs or none, which attach to or burrow in other animals, bore into wood, etc., as some kinds of fish-lice, certain isopods (as the gribble), certain amphipods (as the wood-shrimp), etc.n. One of some vermiform mollusks, as a teredo or shipworm, or a wormshell. See cuts under shipworm and Vermetus.n. A small lizard with rudimentary legs, or none, as a blindworm or slow-worm.n. A serpent; a snake; a dragon. For a modern instance in composition, see worm-snake, 1.n. Technically, in zoology, any member of the Linnean class Vermes, or of the modern phylum or subkingdom of the same name; any turbellarian, planarian, nemertean, platyhelminth, nemathelminth, trematoid, cestoid, nematoid, chætognath, gephyrean, annelid, etc.n. A person or human being likened to a worm as an object of scorn, disgust, contempt, pity, and the like: as, man is but a worm of the dust.n. n. Figuratively, of inanimate objects, something that slowly, silently, or stealthily eats, makes, or works its way, to the pain, injury, or destruction of the object affected: used emblematically or symbolically.n. An uneasy conscience; the gnawing or torment of conscience; remorse.n. In anatomy, some vermiform part or process of an animal's body.n. Anything thought to resemble a worm in appearance, or in having a spiral or curved movement.n. plural Any disease or disorder arising from the presence of parasitic worms in the intestines or other tissues; helminthiasisn. A worm parasitic in the intestine of another animal, as a tapeworm, threadworm, pinworm, etc.To move like a worm; go or advance as a worm; crawl or creep sinuously; wriggle; writhe; squirm: as, to worm along.To work or act slowly, stealthily, or secretly.To effect by slow, stealthy, or insidious means: as, to worm one's way along.SpecificallyTo extract, remove, expel, or take away by underhand means persistently continued: generally with out or from.To subject to a stealthy process of ferreting out one's secrets or private affairs; play the spy upon.To free from worms.To remove the charge, etc., from, as a gun, by means of a worm. See worm, n., 6 .To remove the worm or lytta from the tongue of, as of a dog: supposed to be a precaution against madness.To remove the beard of (an oyster or mussel).To give a spiral form to; put a thread on.Nautical, to wind rope-yarns, spun yarn, or similar material spirally round (a rope) so as to fill the spaces between the strands and render the surface smooth for parceling and serving. See cuts under parceling and serving-mallet.