different between earthworm vs slowworm

English

Etymology

From Middle English erthe-worm, erþe-worm, erþe worm (also as worm of þe erthe, worm of þe erþe), equivalent to earth +? worm. Compare Saterland Frisian Äidwurm (“earthworm”), West Frisian ierdwjirm (“earthworm”), Dutch aardworm (“earthworm”), less common German Erdwurm (“earthworm”).

Pronunciation

Noun

earthworm (plural earthworms)

1. A worm that lives in the ground.
2. A worm of the family Lumbricidae, or, more generally, of the suborder Lumbricina.
3. (figuratively) A contemptible person; a groveller.

Synonyms

• (a ground-living worm): rainworm, groundworm; wiggler, red worm, red wiggler (Southern US); nightwalker (New England); nightcrawler (Northern US, Western US); dew worm (US Great Lakes region, Canada)

Hyponyms

• (a ground-living worm): baitworm; fishworm (Northern US, Central US); angleworm (Northern US); fishing worm (Southern US) - fish bait

Translations

References

• earthworm in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• earthworm at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Earthworm on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• heartworm

English

Alternative forms

• slow worm, slow-worm

Etymology

From Middle English sloworm (possibly influenced by slow), from Old English sl?wyrm. Possibly related to Swedish slå (“earthworm”)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?sl??w??(?)m/

Noun

slowworm (plural slowworms)

1. A small Old World lizard, Anguis fragilis, often mistaken for a snake, having no legs and small eyes.

   Synonym: blindworm

   Hypernym: lizard

Translations

Further reading

• Anguis fragilis on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

References

• 2008, Anatoly Liberman, An Analytic Dictionary of English Etymology: An Introduction, pages 196-200