muckworm

A child picks up a muckworm from the damp soil.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A maggot or larva that lives in manure or decaying organic matter: The most literal meaning of "muckworm" refers to a worm or grub that feeds on muck (dung or filth).
   • A miserly or stingy person: Used figuratively to describe someone who hoards money or is excessively frugal, often in a contemptuous way.
   • A street urchin or neglected child: Historically, "muckworm" could refer to a child who lives in poverty and squalor, often wandering the streets.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The compost heap was full of muckworms. (Maggots or larvae living in decaying organic material.)
  • He is such a muckworm — he never spends a penny on anyone. (A miserly person who hoards money.)
  • The novel described the muckworms of Victorian London, children surviving in the gutters. (Neglected, poor children living on the streets.)

Advanced Usage

• "to be a muckworm": to be excessively stingy or miserly.

  • My uncle is a real muckworm; he even refuses to buy new shoes. (He is extremely frugal and unwilling to spend money.)

• "to live like a muckworm": to live in poverty or squalor.

  • After losing his job, he lived like a muckworm in a tiny, filthy room. (He lived in miserable conditions.)

Variants and Related Words

• Muck (n): dirt, manure, or decaying organic matter.
  • The farmer spread muck on the fields. (Animal manure used as fertilizer.)

Synonyms

• Maggot: a soft-bodied larva, especially one that lives in decaying matter.
• Miser: a person who hoards wealth and spends as little as possible.
• Urchin: a poor, often dirty child living on the streets.

Related Idioms

• Muckworm mentality: a mindset of extreme stinginess or a focus on filth and poverty.
  • His muckworm mentality prevented him from enjoying life. (His miserly attitude kept him from spending on pleasures.)