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budworm

American  
[buhd-wurm] / ˈbʌdˌwɜrm /

noun

  1. any of several lepidopterous larvae, especially the spruce budworm, that attack the buds of plants.


Etymology

Origin of budworm

An Americanism dating back to 1840–50; bud 1 + worm

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Even now, its balsam firs continue to deteriorate from moose browsing and an attack of tree-killing spruce budworm, the report said.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 14, 2023

Warming temperatures are increasing insect infestations from mountain pine beetles and spruce budworm, which have killed large swathes of forest.

From Salon • May 13, 2022

“You can see that they’re stressed. When that happens, they get attacked by beetles, spruce budworm and mistletoe. They struggle to survive.”

From Washington Times • Oct. 2, 2018

The really significant findings were made when the investigators turned for comparison to a remote creek thirty miles from the nearest area sprayed for budworm control.

From The New Yorker • Jan. 3, 2017

The early 1950’s had seen such an upsurge in the budworm populations.

From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson

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