malshrag Obs. exc. dial.
(ˈmælʃræg)
Forms (see E.D.D.): 9 maleshag, malley-, mallishag, maltshag, moleshag, 5, 9 Yorksh. malshrag.
[App. a corruption of prec., after shrag. Other corrupt forms in mod. dialects, influenced by scrawl v. (= crawl) are mawl-scrawl, malscral, maskell.]
A caterpillar.
| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xviii. xviii. (1495) 777 A malshrag that gnawyth caul leuys. Ibid. xlvii. 808 Of malshragges comyth and bredyth butterflyes. 1881 Isle of Wight Gloss., Mallishag, a caterpillar. 1883 Hampsh. Gloss., Maleshag, a caterpillar. 1890 Glouc. Gloss., Moleshag, a sort of grub or caterpillar. |