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   cat·er·pil·lar

   /ˈkadərˌpilər/

   noun

   • 1. the larva of a butterfly or moth, having a segmented wormlike body with three pairs of true legs and several pairs of appendages similar to legs. Caterpillars may be hairy, have warning coloration, or be colored to resemble their surroundings.
   • ▪ (in general use) any insect larva resembling the larvae of butterflies and moths, especially the sawfly.
   • 2. an articulated steel band passing around the wheels of a vehicle for travel on rough ground. trademark
   • ▪ a vehicle with caterpillar tracks.

   Word Origin late Middle English: perhaps from a variant of Old French chatepelose, literally ‘hairy cat’, influenced by obsolete piller ‘ravager’. The association with ‘cat’ is found in other languages, e.g. Swiss German Teufelskatz (literally ‘devil's cat’), Lombard gatta (literally ‘cat’). Compare with French chaton, English catkin, which resembles a hairy caterpillar.

   Scrabble Points: 15

   • C

     3

   • A

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   • T

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   • E

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   • R

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   • P

     3

   • I

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   • L

     1

   • L

     1

   • A

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   • R

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