Inchworm (noun)

1. A caterpillar that crawls in a looping or measuring manner, typically in the larval stage of certain moths.
2. A measuring device that moves along a ruler to measure a distance.

Origin:

The word inchworm likely comes from its slow, measured motion, which resembles the way a worm inches along. the word inchworm is first recorded in the 1680s.

Examples:

1. The inchworm was slowly making its way across the sidewalk.
2. She used an inchworm to measure the length of the fabric for her sewing project.
3. The inchworm is the larval stage of the geometer moth.
4. The inchworm's looping movement is a defense mechanism.
5. Inchworms are commonly seen in gardens and on trees.