ice worm
/ˈʌɪs wəːm/noun
1An imaginary creature which flourishes in icy conditions; specifically (Canadian ) one first reported during the Klondike gold rush.
- The Klondike ice worm was apparently the invention of E. J. ‘Stroller’ White (1856–1930), then a journalist on the Klondike Nugget..
2A worm that lives in ice; specifically any of several small oligochaete worms of the genus Mesenchytraeus (especially M. solifugus) which inhabit glaciers in North America.
Origin
Mid 19th century; earliest use found in Blackwood's Magazine. From ice + worm.