woolly worm
Hairy folklore forecaster
A woolly worm is the fuzzy caterpillar of the Isabella tiger moth, common in North America.
According to folk tradition, the width of its brown and black bands predicts winter severity—wider black bands supposedly mean harsher weather.
The term is mainly American and regional, especially in Appalachia: The woolly worms are out early this year.
Soft and unclear
- bristlesCoarse animal hairs
- setaeStiff hairlike structures
- segmentsSeparate parts of something
- prolegsLarval abdominal appendages
mandibles · crawling · herbivore · leaf-eater · larval · cocoon · pupation · tiger moth
Soft and unclear
- furryCovered in soft hair
- fluffySoft and light-textured
- bristlyCovered with stiff hairs
- hairyHaving much fur
soft · downy · velvety · plush · tufted · cozy · cuddly · ticklish
Anticipated atmospheric conditions
- almanacYearly data compilation
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- old wives taleUnverified traditional belief
- prognosticationForetelling future events
omen · harbinger · bands · stripes · severity · mild · harsh · farmers
fuzzy
Soft and unclear
prolegs · mandibles · crawling · herbivore · leaf-eater · larval · cocoon · pupation · tiger moth · Isabella
fuzzy
Soft and unclear
hairy · soft · downy · velvety · plush · tufted · cozy · cuddly · ticklish · prickly
weather prediction
Anticipated atmospheric conditions
- almanacYearly data compilation
- superstitionBaseless belief in omens
- old wives taleUnverified traditional belief
prognostication · omen · harbinger · bands · stripes · severity · mild · harsh · farmers · Appalachian