See squirm in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"derived": [
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "asquirm"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "squiggle"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "squirmage"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "squirmish"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 0 0",
"word": "squirmy"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "sco",
"2": "squimmer",
"t": "to wriggle, squirm"
},
"expansion": "Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "unc"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "no",
"2": "kverva",
"t": "to turn around, take away, remove, shrink"
},
"expansion": "Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "non",
"2": "hverfa",
"t": "to turn, vanish"
},
"expansion": "Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocat": "1",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "First recorded 1690's, originally used of eels; cognate with Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”). Of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal quirm, whirm (“to disappear quickly, vanish suddenly and mysteriously”), Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”), from Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”). Alternatively, perhaps imitative or related to worm (in the sense of writhing movement) or swarm.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "squirms",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "squirming",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "squirmed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "squirmed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "squirm (third-person singular simple present squirms, present participle squirming, simple past and past participle squirmed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The prisoner managed to squirm out of the straitjacket.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter IV, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:",
"text": "[…] around us there had sprung up a perfect bedlam of screams and hisses and a seething caldron of hideous reptiles, devoid of fear and filled only with hunger and with rage. They clambered, squirmed and wriggled to the deck, forcing us steadily backward, though we emptied our pistols into them.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:",
"text": "\"Throw it away, dear, do,\" she said, as they got into the road; but Jacob squirmed away from her […]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2011 February 5, Michael Kevin Darling, “Tottenham 2 - 1 Bolton”, in BBC:",
"text": "The Dutchman then missed a retaken second spot-kick, before the Trotters hit back when Daniel Sturridge's shot squirmed under Heurelho Gomes.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To twist one's body with snakelike motions."
],
"id": "en-squirm-en-verb-ZdmxxtkX",
"links": [
[
"twist",
"twist"
],
[
"snakelike",
"snakelike"
],
[
"motion",
"motion"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To twist one's body with snakelike motions."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "writhe"
},
{
"word": "wriggle"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "br",
"lang": "Breton",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "tortigellañ"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "gǎrča se",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "гърча се"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "serpentejar"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "wriemelen"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "wringen"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "svingiĝi"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "kiemurrella"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vääntelehtiä"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "gigoter"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "remuer"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "se tortiller"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "sich winden"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "strifogyrízo",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "στριφογυρίζω"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "grc",
"lang": "Ancient Greek",
"roman": "strephogurízō",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "στρεφογυρίζω"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vonaglik"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "tekereg"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "fészkelődik"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "izeg-mozog"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "izh",
"lang": "Ingrian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vingertää"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "ugomeku",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "蠢く"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "takaokeoke"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "kōiriiri"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "karapetapetau"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "tīwheta"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vri seg"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "ota",
"lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
"roman": "balıklamak",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "بالقلامق"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "wić się"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "serpentear"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "contorcer"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "retorcer"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "ondular"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "ondear"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "izvivátʹsja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "извива́ться"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "izgibátʹsja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "изгиба́ться"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"alt": "от бо́ли",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kórčitʹsja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ко́рчиться"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "migoljiti"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "meškoljiti"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "serpentear"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "retorcerse"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "dîn",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "ดิ้น"
},
{
"_dis1": "88 12 0",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "výtysja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ви́тися"
}
]
},
{
"categories": [],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I recounted the embarrassing story in detail just to watch him squirm.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content 1686: Twist in the Wind:",
"text": "MARIGOLD: Should I tell them I know?\nDORA: Nah, let ’em squirm. Let’s go get some pie.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment."
],
"id": "en-squirm-en-verb-3l~U7YVR",
"links": [
[
"twist",
"twist"
],
[
"discomfort",
"discomfort"
],
[
"shame",
"shame"
],
[
"embarrassment",
"embarrassment"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "fidget"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "gǎrča se",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "гърча се"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "recaragolar-se"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "wriemelen"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "kiemurrella"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "sich winden"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "feszeng"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "takaokeoke"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "vri seg"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "wprawić w zakłopotanie"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "contorcer"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "pojóživatʹsja",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "поёживаться"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jórzatʹ",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ёрзать"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jóžitʹsja",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ёжиться"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "avergonzarse"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "skruva (sig)"
},
{
"_dis1": "3 96 1",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "kórčytysja",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ко́рчитися"
}
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"To evade a question, an interviewer etc."
],
"id": "en-squirm-en-verb-xd47LKLO",
"links": [
[
"evade",
"evade"
]
],
"translations": [
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "otbjagvam",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "отбягвам"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "ontwijken"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "kiemurrella"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "louvoyer"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "sich winden"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "vri seg unna"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "wywinąć się"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uvílivatʹ",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "уви́ливать"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "escabullirse"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "uxyljátysja",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ухиля́тися"
},
{
"_dis1": "0 1 99",
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "uxylýtysja",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "ухили́тися"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/skwɜːm/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/skwɝm/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg/En-us-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg/En-au-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)m"
}
],
"word": "squirm"
}
{
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "sco",
"2": "squimmer",
"t": "to wriggle, squirm"
},
"expansion": "Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "unc"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "no",
"2": "kverva",
"t": "to turn around, take away, remove, shrink"
},
"expansion": "Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "non",
"2": "hverfa",
"t": "to turn, vanish"
},
"expansion": "Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocat": "1",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "First recorded 1690's, originally used of eels; cognate with Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”). Of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal quirm, whirm (“to disappear quickly, vanish suddenly and mysteriously”), Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”), from Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”). Alternatively, perhaps imitative or related to worm (in the sense of writhing movement) or swarm.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "squirms",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "squirm (plural squirms)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"_dis": "56 13 23 8",
"kind": "other",
"name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
"parents": [
"Entries with incorrect language header",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "49 19 20 13",
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"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
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"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
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"source": "w+disamb"
},
{
"_dis": "52 11 29 8",
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Breton translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w+disamb"
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{
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"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
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{
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},
{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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{
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"parents": [],
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}
],
"glosses": [
"A twisting, snakelike movement of the body."
],
"id": "en-squirm-en-noun-14y6sxvf",
"links": [
[
"snakelike",
"snakelike"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/skwɜːm/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/skwɝm/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg/En-us-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg/En-au-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)m"
}
],
"word": "squirm"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms with unknown etymologies",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)m",
"Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)m/1 syllable",
"Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
"Terms with Breton translations",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Catalan translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Esperanto translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Greek translations",
"Terms with Hungarian translations",
"Terms with Ingrian translations",
"Terms with Japanese translations",
"Terms with Maori translations",
"Terms with Norwegian translations",
"Terms with Ottoman Turkish translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Portuguese translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Serbo-Croatian translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Swedish translations",
"Terms with Thai translations",
"Terms with Ukrainian translations"
],
"derived": [
{
"word": "asquirm"
},
{
"word": "squiggle"
},
{
"word": "squirmage"
},
{
"word": "squirmish"
},
{
"word": "squirmy"
}
],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "sco",
"2": "squimmer",
"t": "to wriggle, squirm"
},
"expansion": "Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "unc"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "no",
"2": "kverva",
"t": "to turn around, take away, remove, shrink"
},
"expansion": "Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "non",
"2": "hverfa",
"t": "to turn, vanish"
},
"expansion": "Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocat": "1",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "First recorded 1690's, originally used of eels; cognate with Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”). Of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal quirm, whirm (“to disappear quickly, vanish suddenly and mysteriously”), Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”), from Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”). Alternatively, perhaps imitative or related to worm (in the sense of writhing movement) or swarm.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "squirms",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "squirming",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "squirmed",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "squirmed",
"tags": [
"past"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "squirm (third-person singular simple present squirms, present participle squirming, simple past and past participle squirmed)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "The prisoner managed to squirm out of the straitjacket.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "1918 September–November, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Land That Time Forgot”, in The Blue Book Magazine, Chicago, Ill.: Story-press Corp., →OCLC; republished as chapter IV, in Hugo Gernsback, editor, Amazing Stories, (please specify |part=I to III), New York, N.Y.: Experimenter Publishing, 1927, →OCLC:",
"text": "[…] around us there had sprung up a perfect bedlam of screams and hisses and a seething caldron of hideous reptiles, devoid of fear and filled only with hunger and with rage. They clambered, squirmed and wriggled to the deck, forcing us steadily backward, though we emptied our pistols into them.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "1922 October 26, Virginia Woolf, chapter 1, in Jacob’s Room, Richmond, London: […] Leonard & Virginia Woolf at the Hogarth Press, →OCLC; republished London: The Hogarth Press, 1960, →OCLC:",
"text": "\"Throw it away, dear, do,\" she said, as they got into the road; but Jacob squirmed away from her […]",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2011 February 5, Michael Kevin Darling, “Tottenham 2 - 1 Bolton”, in BBC:",
"text": "The Dutchman then missed a retaken second spot-kick, before the Trotters hit back when Daniel Sturridge's shot squirmed under Heurelho Gomes.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To twist one's body with snakelike motions."
],
"links": [
[
"twist",
"twist"
],
[
"snakelike",
"snakelike"
],
[
"motion",
"motion"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To twist one's body with snakelike motions."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "writhe"
},
{
"word": "wriggle"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"categories": [
"English intransitive verbs",
"English terms with quotations",
"English terms with usage examples",
"Quotation templates to be cleaned"
],
"examples": [
{
"text": "I recounted the embarrassing story in detail just to watch him squirm.",
"type": "example"
},
{
"ref": "2010, Jeph Jacques, Questionable Content 1686: Twist in the Wind:",
"text": "MARIGOLD: Should I tell them I know?\nDORA: Nah, let ’em squirm. Let’s go get some pie.",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment."
],
"links": [
[
"twist",
"twist"
],
[
"discomfort",
"discomfort"
],
[
"shame",
"shame"
],
[
"embarrassment",
"embarrassment"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(intransitive) To twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "fidget"
}
],
"tags": [
"intransitive"
]
},
{
"glosses": [
"To evade a question, an interviewer etc."
],
"links": [
[
"evade",
"evade"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/skwɜːm/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/skwɝm/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg/En-us-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg"
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"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)m"
}
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "br",
"lang": "Breton",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "tortigellañ"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "gǎrča se",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "гърча се"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "serpentejar"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "wriemelen"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "wringen"
},
{
"code": "eo",
"lang": "Esperanto",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "svingiĝi"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "kiemurrella"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vääntelehtiä"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "gigoter"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "remuer"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "se tortiller"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "sich winden"
},
{
"code": "el",
"lang": "Greek",
"roman": "strifogyrízo",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "στριφογυρίζω"
},
{
"code": "grc",
"lang": "Ancient Greek",
"roman": "strephogurízō",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "στρεφογυρίζω"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vonaglik"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "tekereg"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "fészkelődik"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "izeg-mozog"
},
{
"code": "izh",
"lang": "Ingrian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vingertää"
},
{
"code": "ja",
"lang": "Japanese",
"roman": "ugomeku",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "蠢く"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "takaokeoke"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "kōiriiri"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "karapetapetau"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "tīwheta"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "vri seg"
},
{
"code": "ota",
"lang": "Ottoman Turkish",
"roman": "balıklamak",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "بالقلامق"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "wić się"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "serpentear"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "contorcer"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "retorcer"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "ondular"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "ondear"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "izvivátʹsja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "извива́ться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "izgibátʹsja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "изгиба́ться"
},
{
"alt": "от бо́ли",
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "kórčitʹsja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ко́рчиться"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "migoljiti"
},
{
"code": "sh",
"lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "meškoljiti"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "serpentear"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "retorcerse"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "dîn",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"word": "ดิ้น"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "výtysja",
"sense": "twist one’s body with snakelike motion",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ви́тися"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "gǎrča se",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "гърча се"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "recaragolar-se"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "wriemelen"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "kiemurrella"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "sich winden"
},
{
"code": "hu",
"lang": "Hungarian",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "feszeng"
},
{
"code": "mi",
"lang": "Maori",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "takaokeoke"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "vri seg"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "wprawić w zakłopotanie"
},
{
"code": "pt",
"lang": "Portuguese",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "contorcer"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "pojóživatʹsja",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "поёживаться"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jórzatʹ",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ёрзать"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "jóžitʹsja",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ёжиться"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "avergonzarse"
},
{
"code": "sv",
"lang": "Swedish",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"word": "skruva (sig)"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "kórčytysja",
"sense": "twist in discomfort, especially from shame or embarrassment",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ко́рчитися"
},
{
"code": "bg",
"lang": "Bulgarian",
"roman": "otbjagvam",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "отбягвам"
},
{
"code": "nl",
"lang": "Dutch",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "ontwijken"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "kiemurrella"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "louvoyer"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "sich winden"
},
{
"code": "no",
"lang": "Norwegian",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "vri seg unna"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "wywinąć się"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "uvílivatʹ",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "уви́ливать"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"word": "escabullirse"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "uxyljátysja",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"tags": [
"imperfective"
],
"word": "ухиля́тися"
},
{
"code": "uk",
"lang": "Ukrainian",
"roman": "uxylýtysja",
"sense": "to evade a question, an interviewer etc.",
"tags": [
"perfective"
],
"word": "ухили́тися"
}
],
"word": "squirm"
}
{
"categories": [
"English countable nouns",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English lemmas",
"English nouns",
"English terms with unknown etymologies",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)m",
"Rhymes:English/ɜː(ɹ)m/1 syllable",
"Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
"Terms with Breton translations",
"Terms with Bulgarian translations",
"Terms with Catalan translations",
"Terms with Dutch translations",
"Terms with Esperanto translations",
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],
"etymology_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "sco",
"2": "squimmer",
"t": "to wriggle, squirm"
},
"expansion": "Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocap": "1"
},
"expansion": "uncertain",
"name": "unc"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "no",
"2": "kverva",
"t": "to turn around, take away, remove, shrink"
},
"expansion": "Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "non",
"2": "hverfa",
"t": "to turn, vanish"
},
"expansion": "Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”)",
"name": "cog"
},
{
"args": {
"1": "en",
"nocat": "1",
"title": "imitative"
},
"expansion": "imitative",
"name": "onom"
}
],
"etymology_text": "First recorded 1690's, originally used of eels; cognate with Scots squimmer (“to wriggle, squirm”). Of uncertain origin. Compare dialectal quirm, whirm (“to disappear quickly, vanish suddenly and mysteriously”), Norwegian kverva (“to turn around, take away, remove, shrink”), from Old Norse hverfa (“to turn, vanish”). Alternatively, perhaps imitative or related to worm (in the sense of writhing movement) or swarm.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "squirms",
"tags": [
"plural"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {},
"expansion": "squirm (plural squirms)",
"name": "en-noun"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "noun",
"senses": [
{
"glosses": [
"A twisting, snakelike movement of the body."
],
"links": [
[
"snakelike",
"snakelike"
]
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"ipa": "/skwɜːm/",
"tags": [
"Received-Pronunciation"
]
},
{
"ipa": "/skwɝm/",
"tags": [
"General-American"
]
},
{
"audio": "en-us-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg/En-us-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/12/En-us-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"audio": "en-au-squirm.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg/En-au-squirm.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d5/En-au-squirm.ogg"
},
{
"rhymes": "-ɜː(ɹ)m"
}
],
"word": "squirm"
}
Download raw JSONL data for squirm meaning in English (17.8kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-02-22 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-02-02 using wiktextract (9e2b7d3 and f2e72e5). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.