blindworm

[ blahynd-wurm ]

/ ˈblaɪndˌwɜrm /

a limbless European lizard, Anguis fragilis, related to the glass lizards.

a caecilian, Ichthyophis glutinosus, of Sri Lanka, that coils around its eggs.

Origin of blindworm

1425–75; late Middle English; see blind, worm; so called because the eyes are very small

I looked where she indicated, and saw a slow-worm, or blind-worm, lying basking in the sun.

The Seaboard Parish Vol. 2 |George MacDonald
The slow-worm or blind-worm is often mistaken for the snake.

The Swan and Her Crew |George Christopher Davies
God made the blind-worm and the mole, and each has its place.

A House of Pomegranates |Oscar Wilde
The common English blind-worm breaks to pieces in a similar manner.

The Western World |W.H.G. Kingston

The English Gipsies still retain this primæval word, but apply it only to the blind-worm.

The English Gipsies and Their Language |Charles G. Leland

blindworm

/ (ˈblaɪndˌwɜːm) /

another name for slowworm