"even a worm will turn" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "First attested in a collection of proverbs by John Heywood in 1546, in the form “Treade a worme on the tayle, and it must turne agayne.” Popularized by William Shakespeare in The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, see quotations.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "proverb"
      },
      "expansion": "even a worm will turn",
      "name": "en-head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English proverbs",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "William Shakespeare",
          "orig": "en:William Shakespeare",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              29
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              27
            ]
          ],
          "english": "The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on, and doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.",
          "ref": "c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 154, column 1:",
          "text": "The ſmalleſt Worme will turne, being troden on, / And Doues will pecke in ſafegard of their Brood.",
          "translation": "The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on, and doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Even the meekest or most docile people will retaliate or seek revenge if pushed too far."
      ],
      "id": "en-even_a_worm_will_turn-en-proverb-0oCc86WI",
      "links": [
        [
          "meek",
          "meek"
        ],
        [
          "docile",
          "docile"
        ],
        [
          "retaliate",
          "retaliate"
        ],
        [
          "revenge",
          "revenge"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "worm turns"
        },
        {
          "word": "turnabout is fair play"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "John Heywood",
        "William Shakespeare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "even a worm will turn"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "First attested in a collection of proverbs by John Heywood in 1546, in the form “Treade a worme on the tayle, and it must turne agayne.” Popularized by William Shakespeare in The Third Part of Henry the Sixth, see quotations.",
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "proverb"
      },
      "expansion": "even a worm will turn",
      "name": "en-head"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "proverb",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "worm turns"
    },
    {
      "word": "turnabout is fair play"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English proverbs",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "en:William Shakespeare"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              0,
              29
            ]
          ],
          "bold_translation_offsets": [
            [
              13,
              27
            ]
          ],
          "english": "The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on, and doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.",
          "ref": "c. 1591–1592 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Third Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii], page 154, column 1:",
          "text": "The ſmalleſt Worme will turne, being troden on, / And Doues will pecke in ſafegard of their Brood.",
          "translation": "The smallest worm will turn, being trodden on, and doves will peck in safeguard of their brood.",
          "type": "quotation"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Even the meekest or most docile people will retaliate or seek revenge if pushed too far."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "meek",
          "meek"
        ],
        [
          "docile",
          "docile"
        ],
        [
          "retaliate",
          "retaliate"
        ],
        [
          "revenge",
          "revenge"
        ]
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "John Heywood",
        "William Shakespeare"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "even a worm will turn"
}