Pronunciation coach
Caterpillar
Sounds like
katerpiler
Tap the speaker to hear the word.
Simple meaning
What does Caterpillar mean?
A caterpillar is a young butterfly or moth before it changes.
Dictionary definition
the worm-like young form of a butterfly or moth.
Example sentences
Caterpillar in a sentence
easy
The caterpillar crawled on the leaf.
medium
A caterpillar can turn into a butterfly or moth.
hard
The class watched the caterpillar form a chrysalis before changing into a butterfly.
Synonyms
Words like Caterpillar
larvaThe young stage of some insects.
insect larvaA young insect before it becomes an adult.
Antonyms
Opposite words
butterflyThe adult form that some caterpillars become.
mothThe adult form that some caterpillars become.
Word family
Caterpillar word family
Base word
caterpillar
noun
caterpillar
Base form.
noun
caterpillars
More than one caterpillar.
Related words
Explore related words
Quick practice
Try Caterpillar
Practice 1
What does caterpillar mean?
A caterpillar is the young stage of a butterfly or moth.
Practice 2
Which word is related to caterpillar?
Some caterpillars change into butterflies.
Practice 3
Which sentence uses caterpillar correctly?
A caterpillar is an insect larva that may eat leaves.
Practice this skill
Practice vocabulary in WordHive
Use the dictionary to understand Caterpillar, then move into short activities matched to the skills on this page.
Learning paths
- Define the Word Hive for word meanings.
- Synonym Search for word choice.
- Context Clue Challenge for sentence clues.
- Buzz Between for homophones and listening.
- Hive Builder for roots, prefixes, and suffixes.