noun
Common word for earthworm; used in everyday contexts as well as in biology.
雨の後、道にミミズが出てきた。
After the rain, earthworms came out onto the road.
ミミズは土を肥やすのに役立つ。
Earthworms are useful for enriching the soil.
Rare kanji form; not commonly used in modern writing.
The origin is uncertain. The reading みみず may be related to 目見ず (me mizu, 'not seeing'), referring to the earthworm's lack of eyes, but this is speculative.