Caterpillar

caterpillar
    n 1: a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny
         larva of a butterfly or moth
    2: a large tracked vehicle that is propelled by two endless
       metal belts; frequently used for moving earth in construction
       and farm work [syn: {Caterpillar}, {cat}]
    

Scorpion \Scor"pi*on\, n. [F., fr. L. scorpio, scorpius, Gr. ?,
   perhaps akin to E. sharp.]
   1. (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of pulmonate arachnids
      of the order {Scorpiones}, having a suctorial mouth, large
      claw-bearing palpi, and a caudal sting.
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   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.
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   2. (Zool.) The pine or gray lizard ({Sceloporus undulatus}).
      [Local, U. S.]
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   3. (Zool.) The scorpene.
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   4. (Script.) A painful scourge.
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            My father hath chastised you with whips, but I will
            chastise you with scorpions.          --1 Kings xii.
                                                  11.
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   5. (Astron.) A sign and constellation. See {Scorpio}.
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   6. (Antiq.) An ancient military engine for hurling stones and
      other missiles.
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   {Book scorpion}. (Zool.) See under {Book}.

   {False scorpion}. (Zool.) See under {False}, and {Book
      scorpion}.

   {Scorpion bug}, or {Water scorpion} (Zool.) See {Nepa}.

   {Scorpion fly} (Zool.), a neuropterous insect of the genus
      {Panorpa}. See {Panorpid}.

   {Scorpion grass} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Myosotis}.
      {Myosotis 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} (Zool.), any shell of the genus Pteroceras.
      See {Pteroceras}.

   {Scorpion spiders}. (Zool.), 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.
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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. (Zool.) 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}.
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   2. (Bot.) A plant of the genus {Scorpiurus}, with pods
      resembling caterpillars.
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   {Caterpillar catcher}, or {Caterpillar eater} (Zool.), a bird
      belonging to the family of Shrikes, which feeds on
      caterpillars. The name is also given to several other
      birds.

   {Caterpillar hunter} (Zool.), any species of beetles of the
      genus {Callosoma} and other allied genera of the family
      {Carabid[ae]} which feed habitually upon caterpillars.
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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}.)
    

30 Moby Thesaurus words for "caterpillar":
      arachnid, arthropod, aurelia, beetle, bug, centipede, chilopod,
      chrysalis, cocoon, daddy longlegs, diplopod, fly, grub, harvestman,
      hexapod, insect, larva, maggot, millepede, millipede, mite, nymph,
      nympha, pupa, scorpion, spider, tarantula, tick, wiggler,
      wriggler