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cabbageworm

American

[kab-ij-wurm] / ˈkæb ɪdʒˌwɜrm /

noun

a caterpillar, especially of the genus Pieris, that feeds on cabbages.

cabbageworm British

/ ˈkæbɪdʒˌwɜːm /

noun

any caterpillar that feeds on cabbages, esp that of the cabbage white

"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

Etymology

Origin of cabbageworm

First recorded in 1680–90; cabbage 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.

Garden pests are often highly specialized and named after their favorite food: cabbageworm, corn earworm, tomato hornworm, Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, pea weevil, pepper maggot, Mexican bean beetle, and so on.

From Salon • Aug. 8, 2021

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023