different between slowworm vs blindworm

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

English

Etymology

blind + worm, because of its very small eyes.

Noun

blindworm (plural blindworms)

1. Anguis fragilis (slowworm), a small species of legless lizard.
   • 1587, Raphael Holinshed et al., Chronicles of England, Scotlande and Irelande, Volume I, Book 3, Chapter 6, p. 228,^[1]

     […] we haue a blind worme to be found vnder logs in woods, and timber that hath lien long in a place, which some also doo call (and vpon better ground) by the name of [s]low worms, and they are knowen easilie by their more or lesse varietie of striped colours, drawen long waies from their heads, their whole bodies little excéeding a foot in length, & yet is there venem deadlie.

   • c. 1595, William Shakespeare, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II, Scene 2,^[2]

     You spotted snakes with double tongue,

     Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;

     Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,

     Come not near our fairy queen.

Translations

References

• Anguis fragilis on Wikipedia.Wikipedia