Muckworm
/ˈmʌkˌwɜːrm/noun
A contemptuous term for a person who lives in or concerns themselves with filth, dirt, or lowly things.
Did you know?This is a transparent English compound, and its power comes from image, not magic: it reduces a person to something that crawls through muck, the kind of verbal degradation medieval insult culture loved.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
mūc
“Mud, filth, or soft dirt.”
Old English
OE
wyrm
“A worm, serpent, or dragon-like creature.”
Middle English
ME
muk-worme
“A contemptuous compound for a dirty or base person.”
Early Modern English
English
muckworm
“An insulting term for someone obsessed with dirt, money, or mean concerns.”
Modern English
English
muckworm
“A contemptuous term for a person who lives in or concerns themselves with filth, dirt, or lowly things.”