caterpillar Definition

the elongated wormlike larva of a butterfly or moth; also : any of various similar larvae

—used for a tractor made for use on rough or soft ground and moved on two endless metal belts

a moth (Malacosoma disstria of the family Lasiocampidae) whose orange-marked larva is a tent caterpillar and a serious defoliator of deciduous trees

any of several social caterpillars (genus Malacosoma and especially M. americanum of the family Lasiocampidae) that form large silken webs on trees and may cause serious defoliation

any of a family (Nephropidae and especially Homarus americanus) of large edible marine decapod crustaceans that have stalked eyes, a pair of large claws, and a long abdomen and that include species from coasts on both sides of the North Atlantic and from the Cape of Good Hope

spiny lobster