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Any slender, more or less rigid, bristlelike organ or part; as the hairs of a caterpillar, the slender spines of a crustacean, the hairlike processes of a protozoan, the bristles or stiff hairs on the leaves of some plants, or the pedicel of the capsule of a moss.

The fine, soft thread produced by various species of caterpillars in forming the cocoons within which the worm is inclosed during the pupa state, especially that produced by the larvæ of Bombyx mori.

A small, light boat. The pilot of some small night-foundered skiff. Milton. Skiff caterpillar (Zoöl.), the larva of a moth (Limacodes scapha); -- so called from its peculiar shape.

lay lines, etc. Sea slug. (Zoöl.) (a) Any nudibranch mollusk. (b) A holothurian. -- Slug caterpillar. Same as Slugworm.

Any caterpillar which has the general appearance of a slug, as do those of certain moths belonging to Limacodes and allied genera, and those of certain sawflies.

e European hedge sparrow. See under Hedge. He that doth the ravens feed, Yea, providently caters for the sparrow, Be comfort to my age! Shak. Field sparrow, Fox sparrow, etc. See under Field, Fox, etc. -- Sparrow bill, a small nail; a castiron shoe nail; a sparable. -- Sparrow hawk. (Zoöl.) (a) A small European hawk…

To adhere; as, glue sticks to the fingers; paste sticks to the wall. The green caterpillar breedeth in the inward parts of roses not blown, where the dew sticketh. Bacon.

d as a bearing. Tent bed, a high-post bedstead curtained with a tentlike canopy. -- Tent caterpillar (Zoöl.), any one of several species of gregarious caterpillars which construct on trees large silken webs into which they retreat when at rest. Some of the species are very destructive to fruit trees. The most common A…

To change the form of; to change in shape or appearance; to metamorphose; as, a caterpillar is ultimately transformed into a butterfly. Love may transform me to an oyster. Shak.

A silk cloth made from the cocoons of a caterpillar other than the common silkworm, much used in Bengal and China.

A caterpillar of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths. The body of these caterpillars is covered with hairs which form long tufts or brushes. Some species are very injurious to shade and fruit trees. Called also tussock caterpillar. See Orgyia. Tussock grass. (Bot.) (a) A tall, strong grass of the genus Dactyl…

), the narwhal. -- Unicorn moth (Zoöl.), a notodontian moth (Coelodasys unicornis) whose caterpillar has a prominent horn on its back; -- called also unicorn prominent. -- Unicorn root (Bot.), a name of two North American plants, the yellow-flowered colicroot (Aletris farinosa) and the blazing star (Chamælirium luteu…

pecies of bombycid moths. The most common species in the United States are the salt-marsh caterpillar (see under Salt), the black and red woolly bear, or larva of the Isabella moth (see Illust., under Isabella Moth), and the yellow woolly bear, or larva of the American ermine moth (Spilosoma Virginica). -- Woolly butt…

A creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like. [Archaic] There came a viper out of the heat, and leapt on his hand. When the men of the country saw the worm hang on his hand, they said, This man must needs be a murderer. Tyndale (Acts xxviii. 3, 4). 'T is slander, Wh…