Get Affordable VMs - excellent virtual server hosting


browse words by letter
a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z
caterpillar

more about caterpillar

caterpillar


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Scorpion  \Scor"pi*on\,  n.  [F.,  fr  L.  scorpio,  scorpius,  Gr  ?, 
  perhaps  akin  to  E.  sharp.] 
  1.  (Zo["o]l.)  Any  one  of  numerous  species  of  pulmonate 
  arachnids  of  the  order  Scorpiones,  having  a  suctorial 
  mouth,  large  claw-bearing  palpi,  and  a  caudal  sting. 
 
  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. 
 
  2.  (Zo["o]l.)  The  pine  or  gray  lizard  ({Sceloporus 
  undulatus}).  [Local,  U.  S.] 
 
  3.  (Zo["o]l.)  The  scorpene. 
 
  4.  (Script.)  A  painful  scourge. 
 
  My  father  hath  chastised  you  with  whips,  but  I  will 
  chastise  you  with  scorpions.  --1  Kings  xii. 
  11. 
 
  5.  (Astron.)  A  sign  and  constellation.  See  {Scorpio}. 
 
  6.  (Antiq.)  An  ancient  military  engine  for  hurling  stones  and 
  other  missiles. 
 
  {Book  scorpion}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  under  {Book}. 
 
  {False  scorpion}.  (Zo["o]l.)  See  under  {False},  and  {Book 
  scorpion}. 
 
  {Scorpion  bug},  or  {Water  scorpion}  (Zo["o]l.)  See  {Nepa}. 
 
  {Scorpion  fly}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  neuropterous  insect  of  the  genus 
  {Panorpa}.  See  {Panorpid}. 
 
  {Scorpion  grass}  (Bot.),  a  plant  of  the  genus  {Myosotis}.  {M. 
  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}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  shell  of  the  genus 
  Pteroceras.  See  {Pteroceras}. 
 
  {Scorpion  spiders}.  (Zo["o]l.),  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. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  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.  (Zo["o]l.)  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. 
 
  2.  (Bot.)  A  plant  of  the  genus  {Scorpiurus},  with  pods 
  resembling  caterpillars. 
 
  {Caterpillar  catcher},  or  {Caterpillar  eater}  (Zo["o]l.),  a 
  bird  belonging  to  the  family  of  Shrikes,  which  feeds  on 
  caterpillars.  The  name  is  also  given  to  several  other 
  birds. 
 
  {Caterpillar  hunter}  (Zo["o]l.),  any  species  of  beetles  of 
  the  genus  {Callosoma}  and  other  allied  genera  of  the 
  family  {Carabid[ae]}  which  feed  habitually  upon 
  caterpillars. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  caterpillar 
  adj  :  having  caterpillar  treads  or  tracks  on  the  wheels;  "a 
  caterpillar-tracked  earthmover"  [syn:  {caterpillar-tracked}] 
  n  1:  a  wormlike  and  often  brightly  colored  and  hairy  or  spiny 
  larva  of  a  butterfly  or  moth 
  2:  (trademark)  a  tractor  that  is  driven  by  caterpillar  tracks 
  [syn:  {Caterpillar},  {cat}] 
 
  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}.) 
 




more about caterpillar