wormhole

Overview

Meaning Now

• A hole in a solid material, especially wood, created by the boring activity of a worm or larva.
• A hypothetical topological feature of spacetime that would fundamentally be a shortcut through the fabric of space and time.

Journey

The term was originally used in a literal sense to describe the damage done to timber by the larvae of wood-boring beetles. The scientific use was popularized in 1957 by John Wheeler, who used the analogy of a worm burrowing through an apple to describe the geometric structure of Einstein-Rosen bridges.

Evolution

1. Proto-Germanic

   *wurmiz-hulą

   “Hollow created by a worm.”

2. Old English

   wyrmhol

   “Worm hole, hole made by a reptile or larva.”

3. Middle English

   wormhole

   “A passage bored by insects or worms.”

4. Modern English (early 20th century)

   wormhole

   “Shortcut through spacetime.”

   Coined in its physical sense by physicist John Wheeler in 1957.

Connections

Explore next

Related to wormhole

• worm→
• approach→
• charles-miles-manson→