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Glite Dictionary
earthworm

earthworm

16 1.3
A small long worm that lives in soil and helps make soil healthy
  • noun
  • /ˈɜrθˌwɜrm/
translation icon : lombriz
  • When added to soils, compost adds organic bulk, increased earthworm populations, humus, and cation exchange capacity.
  • earthworms and soil
  • earthworm population
  • earthworm activity

Umm, there are hermaphrodites like earthworms and snails who, who do both.

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Examples

  • You said that there was no way you would let an earthworm grab onto your ankle.

    Beast (2018)

  • And as if in a trance, hundreds of earthworms begin emerging from the soil.

  • A Jaguar hunting a deer, trees competing for light, earthworms breaking down old leaves.

  • Therefore, slower reductions may have occurred because the earthworms already had a food source in the peat.

    Academic text (1999)

  • In the garden, the gardener noticed that the rich, dark soil was alive with earthworms helping to improve its quality.

  • After a heavy rain, you can often see earthworms wriggling on the pavement as they come to the surface.

  • Many anglers prefer using earthworms as bait when fishing because they attract a variety of fish.

Synonyms

worm
vsearthworm
299 1.0

A small soft animal without legs that lives in soil or water

is the specific small terrestrial soil burrower not the broader invertebrate group
crawler
vsearthworm
  • US
4 5.4

A small worm that lives in soil and is often used as bait for fish

is commonly seen after rain rather than only when ground is cool
nightcrawler
vsearthworm
  • US
4 7.0

A large earthworm that comes out at night and people use for bait

is a smaller soil burrower typically seen after rain rather than being large
red worm
vsearthworm
1 2.1

A small red earthworm that lives in soil, helps make soil better, and people use it as fishing bait

is the general small soil burrower without emphasis on red color
wiggler
vsearthworm
1 7.2

A small worm that lives in soil and is used for fishing bait

is the specific small soil animal itself rather than only a common name
Lumbricus
vsearthworm
  • Specialized
1 9.6

A group of earthworms that live in soil and help plants grow

is the everyday small soil animal term rather than a scientific genus
fishing worm
vsearthworm
2.5

A worm that people use as bait to catch fish

is the general small soil burrower seen after rain not only bait
fishworm
vsearthworm
6.3

A worm, often an earthworm, used to catch fish

is the general small soil burrower rather than a bait-specific name
angleworm
vsearthworm
  • US
8.7

A common earthworm used as bait for fishing

is the small soil burrower known for aerating soil not only for bait
dew worm
vsearthworm
8.9

A large earthworm that comes out at night or when the ground is wet and people use for fishing

is the smaller soil burrower that helps aerate soil rather than being large
nightwalker
vsearthworm
8.8

A large worm used for fish bait that comes out at night

is a small soil burrower usually seen after rain rather than a large night-active form

How Large

nightcrawler
  • US
4 7.0
earthworm
16 1.3
red worm
1 2.1

Surface Forms

earthworm singular
earthworms plural

Morphology

earthworm = earth + worm (transparent) = earth + worm

Meaning is directly the combination of 'earth' + 'worm' (a worm that lives in the earth/soil), which is obvious to learners who know the components.

Etymology

The word earthworm is simply the joining of earth ('ground') and worm ('small creature'), so it originally meant a worm that lives in the ground. That's why we still use it for the long, burrowing animals that help keep soil healthy and are used as fishing bait.