caterpillar: [15] Etymologically, a caterpillar is a ‘hairy cat’. The word comes ultimately from late Latin *catta pilōsa: catta is the source of English cat, while pilōsus ‘hairy’ is a derivative of Latin pilus ‘hair’, from which English gets pile of a carpet. In Old French *catta pilōsa became chatepelose, which passed into English as catyrpel.
The present-day form arose in the 16th century, probably from association with the now obsolete piller ‘plunderer’ (related to English pillage) – caterpillars being regarded, of course, as plunderers of leaves. The notion that caterpillars resemble small furry mammals is also reflected in such names as pussmoth and woolly bear. => cat, pile
caterpillar (n.)
mid-15c., catyrpel, probably altered (by association with Middle English piller "plunderer;" see pillage) from Old North French caterpilose "caterpillar" (Old French chatepelose), literally "shaggy cat" (probably in reference to the "wooly-bear" variety), from Late Latin catta pilosa, from catta "cat" (see cat (n.)) + pilosus "hairy, shaggy, covered with hair," from pilus "hair" (see pile (n.3)). Compare also French chenille "caterpillar," literally "little dog." A Swiss German name for it is teufelskatz "devil's cat." "The caterpillar has in many idioms received the name of other animals" [Kitchin, who cites also Milanese cagnon "little dog," Italian dialectal gattola "little cat," Kentish hop-dog, hop-cat, Portuguese lagarta "lizard." Compare also American English wooly-bear for the hairy variety. An Old English name for it was cawelworm "cole-worm." Caterpillar tractor is from 1908.
caterpillar 英文释义
1. a wormlike and often brightly colored and hairy or spiny larva of a butterfly or moth
caterpillar 双语例句
1. The caterpillar will eventually metamorphose into a butterfly.
毛毛虫最终将蜕变成一只蝴蝶。
来自《权威词典》
2. the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly
从毛毛虫到蝴蝶的蜕变
来自《权威词典》
3. A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.
蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
4. The caterpillar was transformed into a butterfly.
毛毛虫变成了蝴蝶.
来自《简明英汉词典》
5. The caterpillar has metamorphosed into a butterfly.
蝎已变成蝴蝶.
来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
caterpillar 实用场景例句
The caterpillar will eventually metamorphose into a butterfly.
毛毛虫最终将蜕变成一只蝴蝶。
《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly
从毛毛虫到蝴蝶的蜕变
《牛津高阶英汉双解词典》
A butterfly is produced by metamorphosis from a caterpillar.
蝴蝶是由毛虫脱胎变成的.
《现代英汉综合大词典》
The caterpillar was transformed into a butterfly.
毛毛虫变成了蝴蝶.
《简明英汉词典》
The caterpillar has metamorphosed into a butterfly.
蝎已变成蝴蝶.
《现代英汉综合大词典》
In some sense, you could say that the caterpillar dies.
从某种意义上来说，你也可以说，毛虫死了。
辞典例句
I think a caterpillar bit me!
想来是毛毛虫刺了我一下. ”
汉英文学 - 春蚕
A caterpillar must pass through the cocoon stage to become a butterfly.
毛毛虫必须经过茧的阶段才能变成蝴蝶.
辞典例句
A caterpillar is transformed into a butterfly.
毛虫变成蝴蝶.
辞典例句
A caterpillar is the larva of a butterfly.
毛虫是蝴蝶的幼体.
辞典例句
Nature transforms a caterpillar into a butterfly.
大自然使毛虫变为蝴蝶.
辞典例句
The caterpillar turned into butterfly.
毛虫变成了蝴蝶.
辞典例句
A mountain range shown by this method can look like a hairy caterpillar.
采用这种方法表示的山脉看上去象一条毛虫.
辞典例句
The caterpillar began to run about in circles and then flopped over on its back.
毛虫开始乱跳,转了几圈,便扑地摔了个脸朝天.
辞典例句
Peculiarities in the silkworm are known to appear at the corresponding caterpillar or cocoon stage.
