eaceworm

The story

1. Old English · derived fromǣs
2. Middle English · derived fromees“bait, carrion”
3. English todayeaceworm

Dialectal forms eace, easse (“earthworm”) (from Middle English ees (“bait, carrion”), from Old English ǣs) + worm. Akin to Old High German ās (“carrion”), Latin esca (“food, bait”), Lithuanian edesis (“food”), Old English etan (“to eat”) — more at eat.