a creeping or a crawling animal of any kind or size, as a serpent, caterpillar, snail, or the like.-any small creeping animal or reptile, either entirely without feet, or with very short ones, including a great variety of animals; as, an earthworm; the blindworm.-any helminth; an entozoon.-any annelid.-an insect larva.-same as vermes.-an internal tormentor; something that gnaws or afflicts one's mind with remorse.-a being debased and despised.-anything spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm-the thread of a screw.-a spiral instrument or screw, often like a double corkscrew, used for drawing balls from firearms.-a certain muscular band in the tongue of some animals, as the dog; the lytta.  see lytta.-the condensing tube of a still, often curved and wound to economize space.  see illust. of still.-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.-to work slowly, gradually, and secretly.-to effect, remove, drive, draw, or the like, by slow and secret means; -- often followed by out.-to clean by means of a worm; to draw a wad or cartridge from, as a firearm.  see worm, n. 5 (b).-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.-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.