armyworm

[ ahr-mee-wurm ]

noun
  1. the larva of the noctuid moth Pseudaletia unipuncta, which advances over a region in massive numbers, suggestive of an army, destroying crops of grain and vegetables.

  2. any moth larva that is similar to the noctuid Pseudaletia unipuncta in its habit of advancing over a region in massive numbers, suggestive of an army, destroying agricultural crops.

Origin of armyworm

1
An Americanism first recorded in 1735–45; army + worm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for army worm

army worm

noun
  1. the caterpillar of a widely distributed noctuid moth, Leucania unipuncta, which travels in vast hordes and is a serious pest of cereal crops in North America

  2. any of various similar caterpillars

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012