wurmförmiger

Wormförmiger is a German adjective meaning worm-shaped or worm-like, used to describe objects whose form is elongated and cylindrical, resembling a worm. In scientific and descriptive writing, the term commonly applies to living organisms such as nematodes (Fadenwürmer) and earthworms (Regenwürmer, phylum Annelida), as well as to non-biological structures with slender, tube-like morphology.

The word is formed from the noun Wurm (worm) and the suffix -förmig (formed, shaped). It serves as the base adjective wurmförmig, with wurmförmiger being the masculine singular nominative attributive form. Other cases and numbers yield endings such as wurmförigen (genitive singular or plural in some constructions) or wurmförmigen (dative singular and plural in many contexts). The predicative form is wurmförmig rather than wurmföriger.

In usage, wurmförmiger describes a shape rather than a function or taxonomy. It is primarily a descriptive, morphologic term used in biology, paleontology, and related fields, and can appear in phrases like “ein wurmförmiger Körper” or “wurmförmige Strukturen.” In paleontological and sedimentological contexts, the term may describe fossil traces or burrow-like forms observed in the rock record. While most common in technical writing, it can also appear in more general descriptions of elongate, cylindrical objects.

See also: worm-like morphology, wyrmform, -förmig suffix, anatomical terms describing shape.