earthworm
(also ‘dew-worm’, ‘rainworm’, ‘night crawler’ and ‘angleworm’; for the right pronunciation, please click here)
an earthworm
a kind of worm – with a long soft smooth round tube-like segmented (‘segment’ = ring-like part attached to the other ring-like parts) body covered in slippery fluid; mouth part and tiny brain are placed in the first segment; mouth opening connects directly to the digestive system; no bones, no head – no eyes, no ears – no hands or legs, but moves with the help of very small hairs-like growth called ‘setae’ on each segment; different kinds have different body colour – the common colour being reddish brown, some are bright blue; feeds on (eats) on the fallen and decaying leaves and the other plant matter – roots, bark, etc.; different kinds grow to different sizes: from less than 1 inch to 11 feet; lives for 8 years (?) – but the average lifespan may be 1 to 2 years; about 2,700species (kinds) found in the moist soils of the world, except the very dry and cold parts
earthworms in soil
Earthworms are known as the ‘Farmer’s best friend’!
Earthworms burrow in the ground, swallowing the soil along with the fallen decaying leaves and soft roots parts, and after digesting and absorbing (taking the nutrients and other essential fluids into the body) the necessary organic matter, they send out the waste matter, usually in the form of soft mud, as ‘castings’ outside the burrow.
By this method of eating, the earthworms carry organic material down into the lower levels, and the burrows they make help air and water to get deeper into the soil which is very good for the plant life!
The importance of earthworms in improving the quality of the soil has become so popular that there are ‘earthworm farms’ or ‘worm farms’ where earthworms are grown commercially so that people can buy them and use them in their gardens and fields!
Some kinds of earthworms have 5 pairs of hearts!
Earthworms are eaten by some people, used as bait in angling (catching fish with a fishing rod and fishing line) and also used in laboratories and research centres for study purpose!
1. earthworm (noun) = a miser; a greedy, shamefully humble person
2. brains of an earthworm [said of a person’s very low intelligence]
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