Ps. xxii. 6.
5. Anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm; as: (a) The
thread of a screw.
The threads of screws, when bigger than can be made in screw plates,
are called worms.
Moxon.
(b) A spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used
for drawing balls from firearms. (c) (Anat.) A certain muscular band in
the tongue of some animals, as the dog; the lytta. See Lytta. (d) The
condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to economize space.
See Illust. of Still. (e) (Mach.) A short revolving screw, the threads
of which drive, or are driven by, a worm wheel by gearing into its
teeth or cogs. See Illust. of Worm gearing, below.
Worm abscess (Med.), an abscess produced by the irritation resulting
from the lodgment of a worm in some part of the body. — Worm fence. See
under Fence. — Worm gear. (Mach.) (a) A worm wheel. (b) Worm gearing. —
Worm gearing, gearing consisting of a worm and worm wheel working
together. — Worm grass. (Bot.) (a) See Pinkroot, 2 (a). (b) The white
stonecrop (Sedum album) reputed to have qualities as a vermifuge. Dr.
Prior. — Worm oil (Med.), an anthelmintic consisting of oil obtained
from the seeds of Chenopodium anthelminticum. — Worm powder (Med.), an
anthelmintic powder. — Worm snake. (Zoöl.) See Thunder snake (b), under
Thunder. — Worm tea (Med.), an anthelmintic tea or tisane. — Worm
tincture (Med.), a tincture prepared from dried earthworms, oil of
tartar, spirit of wine, etc. [Obs.] — Worm wheel, a cogwheel having
teeth formed to fit into the spiral spaces of a screw called a worm, so
that the wheel may be turned by, or may turn, the worm; — called also
worm gear, and sometimes tangent wheel. See Illust. of Worm gearing,
above.
<! p. 1666 !>
Worm (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Wormed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Worming.] To
work slowly, gradually, and secretly.
When debates and fretting jealousy Did worm and work within you more
and more, Your color faded.
Herbert.
Worm, v. t. 1. To effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and
secret means; — often followed by out.
They find themselves wormed out of all power.
Swift.
They . . . wormed things out of me that I had no desire to tell.
Dickens.
2. To clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a
firearm. See Worm, n. 5 (b).
3. To cut the worm, or lytta, from under the tongue of, as a dog, for
the purpose of checking a disposition to gnaw. The operation was
formerly supposed to guard against canine madness.
The men assisted the laird in his sporting parties, wormed his dogs,
and cut the ears of his terrier puppies.
Sir W. Scott.
4. (Naut.) To wind rope, yarn, or other material, spirally round,
between the strands of, as a cable; to wind with spun yarn, as a small
rope.
Ropes . . . are generally wormed before they are served.
Totten.
To worm one's self into, to enter into gradually by arts and
insinuations; as, to worm one's self into favor.
Wor"mal (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Wormil.
Worm"-eat`en (?), a. 1. Eaten, or eaten into, by a worm or by worms;
as, worm-eaten timber.
Concave as a covered goblet, or a worm-eaten nut.
Shak.