UBS Dictionary of the Greek New Testament

Sense 1: maggot, worm

Semantic entry: 4.57

Semantic domains: Animals

Subdomains: Reptiles and Other 'Creeping Things'

Definition: small, soft, legless, tube-shaped creatures that have no bones or shells. They typically feed on overripe fruit, rotting meat, and similar things; most are larvae that hatch from the eggs laid by flies or some beetles; symbols of uncleanness, decay, and death

Notes: In OET MRK 9:48 the reference is clearly to the type of maggots which feed on refuse.|In a number of languages a very important distinction is made between three different types of worms: (1) maggots, (2) worms that live in the ground, so-called ‘earthworms,’ and (3) intestinal worms. It is essential that an appropriate term be employed in order to avoid meaninglessness or misunderstanding.

Further resources: fauna:6.13