cat·er·pil·lar /ˈkætə(r)ˌpɪlɚ/
 毛蟲


 Cat·er·pil·lar n.
 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.
 2. Bot. A plant of the genus Scorpiurus, with pods resembling caterpillars.
 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 Carabidæ which feed habitually upon caterpillars.

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 caterpillar
      n 1: a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny
           larva of a butterfly or moth
      2: a large vehicle that is driven by caterpillar tracks;
         frequently used for moving earth in construction and farm
         work [syn: cat]


 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.)