Emily Dickinson Lexicon

WORLD-LING, n.

A person whose soul is set upon gaining temporal possessions; one devoted to this world and its enjoyments. If we consider the expectations of futurity, the worldling gives up the argument. – Rogers.

WORLD-LY, a.

1. Secular; temporal; pertaining to this world or life, in contradistinction to the life to come; as, worldly pleasures; worldly affairs; worldly estate; worldly honor; worldly lusts. – Tit. ii.
2. Devoted to this life and its enjoyments; bent on gain; as, a worldly man; a worldly mind.
3. Human; common; belonging to the world; as, worldly actions; worldly maxims.

WORLD-LY, adv.

With relation to this life. Subverting worldly strong and worldly wise By simply meek. – Milton.

WORLD-LY-MIND-ED, a.

Devoted to the acquisition of property and to temporal enjoyments.

WORLD-LY-MIND-ED-NESS, n.

1. A predominating love and pursuit of this world's goods, to the exclusion of piety and attention to spiritual concerns.
2. State of being worldly-minded.

WORM, n. [Sax. wyrm; G. wurm; D. worm; Dan. orm; Sw. id. a serpent. This word is probably named from a winding motion, and the root of swarm.]

1. In common usage, any small creeping animal, or reptile, either entirely without feet, or with very short ones, including a great variety of animals of different classes and orders, viz. certain small serpents, as the blind-worm or slowworm; the larvas of insects, viz. grubs, caterpillars and maggots, as the wood-worm, canker-worm, silk-worm, (the larva of a moth [Phalæna,] which spins the filaments of which silk is made,) the grub that injures corn, grass, &c., worms that breed in putrid flesh, the bots in the stomach of horses, and many others; certain wingless insects, as the glow-worm; the intestinal worms, or such as breed in the cavities and organs of living animals, as the tape-worm, the round-worm, the fluke, &c.; and numerous animals found in the earth, and in water, particularly in the sea, as the earth-worm or lumbricus, the hair-worm or gordius, the teredo, or worm that bores into the bottom of ships, &c. Worms, in the plural, in common usage, is used for intestinal worms, or those which breed in the stomach and bowels, particularly the round and thread worms, (ascarides and oxyurides,) which are often found there in great numbers; as we say, a child has worms.
2. In zoology, the term Vermes or worms has been applied to different divisions of invertebral animals, by different naturalists. Linnæus's class of Vermes, includes the following orders, viz. Intestina, including the proper intestinal worms, the earth-worm, the hair-worm, the teredo, and some other marine worms; Mollusc; including the slug, and numerous soft animals inhabiting the water, particularly the sea; Testacea, including all the proper shell-fish; Zoophyta, or compound animals, including corals, polypes, and spunges; and Infusoria, or simple microscopic animacules. His character of the class is, – spiracles obscure, jaws various, organs of sense usually tentacula, no brain, ears nor nostrils, limbs wanting, frequently hermaphrodite. This class includes all the invertebral animals, except the insects and erustacra. The term Vermes has been since greatly limited, particularly by the French naturalists. Lamarck confined it to the intestinal worms, and some others, whose organization is equally simple. The character of his class is, suboviparous, body soft, highly reproductive, undergo no metamorphosis; no eyes, nor articulated limbs, nor radiated disposition of internal organs. – Linnæus. Lye.
3. Remorse; that which incessantly gnaws the conscience; that which torments. Where their worm dieth not. – Mark ix.
4. A being debased and despised. I am a worm, and no man. – Ps. xxii.
5. A spiral instrument or iron screw, used for drawing wads and cartridges from cannon or small arms.
6. Something spiral, vermiculated, or resembling a worm; as, the threads of a screw. – Moxon.
7. In chimistry and distilleries, a spiral leaden pipe placed in a tub of water, through which the vapor passes in distillation, and in which it is cooled and condensed. It is called also a serpentine.
8. A small wormlike part situated beneath a dog's tongue. – Cyc.

WORM, v.i.

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 expel or undermine by slow and secret means. They find themselves wormed out of all power. – Swift.
2. To cut something, called a worm, from under the tongue of a dog. – Cyc.
3. To draw the wad or cartridge from a gun; to clean by the worm.
4. To wind a rope spirally round a cable, between the strands; or to wind a smaller rope with spun yarn. – Mar. Dict. To worm one's self into, to enter gradually by arts and insinuations; as, to worm one's self into favor.

WORM-EAT-EN, a. [worm and eat.]

1. Gnawed by worms; as, worm-eaten boards, planks or timber.
2. Old; worthless. – Ralegh.

WORM-ED, pp.

Cleared by a worm or screw.

WORM-FENCE, n.

A zigzag fence, made by placing the ends of the rails upon each other; sometimes called a stake fence.

WORM-GRASS, n.

A plant of the genus Spigelia.

WORM'ING, n.

The act or operation of cutting a worm-like ligament from under a dog's tongue.

WORM'ING, ppr.

Entering by insinuation; drawing, as cartridge; clearing, as a gun.

WORM-LIKE, a.

Resembling a worm; spiral; vermicular.

WORM-POW-DER, n.

A powder used for expelling worm: from the stomach and intestines.

WORM-SEED, n.

1. A seed which has the property of expelling worms from the stomach, bowels and intestines. It is said to be brought from Persia, and to be the produce of species of Artemisia. – Cyc.
2. A plant of the genus Chenopodium. – Lee.

WORM-TINC-TURE, n.

A tincture prepared from earth worms dried, pulverized and mixed with oil of tartar, spirit of wine, saffron and castor. – Cyc.

WORM-WOOD, n. [Sax. wermod; G. wermuth.]

A plant, the Artemisia Absinthium. It has a bitter nauseous taste; but it is stomachic and corroborant. Tree-wormwood, a species of Artemisia, with woody stalks. – Cyc.

WORM-WOOD-FLY, n.

A small black fly, found on the stalks of wormwood. – Cyc.

WORM'Y, a.

1. Containing a worm; abounding with worms.
2. Earthy; groveling.

WORN, pp. [of Wear;]

as, a garment long worn. Worn out, consumed or rendered useless by wearing.

WOR'NIL, n.

A maggot that infests the backs of cows. – Derham.

WOR'RAL, n.

An animal of the lizard kind, about four feet long and eight inches broad, with a forked tongue. It feeds on flies, and is harmless. It is found in Egypt. – Pococke. Cyc.

WOR'RI-ED, pp. [from worry.]

Harassed; fatigued.