snack to quiet a grumbling stomach; something to tide one over
Literally 'feeding the stomach worm'; a light snack eaten to calm hunger pangs when a full meal isn't possible. Often used in the phrase 虫養いにする.
See also: 腹の虫
One rice ball was enough to tide me over.
I ate a cookie as a snack to quiet my stomach.
Mixed kanji-kana spelling; the kanji 養い is standard, while むし is often written in kana.
Compound of 虫 (mushi, 'worm', referring to the imaginary 'stomach worm' believed to cause hunger) and 養い (yashinai, 'nourishment'). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but the expression reflects traditional folk beliefs about bodily functions.