cankerworm

American  

[kang-ker-wurm] / ˈkæŋ kərˌwɜrm /

noun

1. an inchworm, the larva of either of two geometrid moths, Paleacrita vernata spring cankerworm and Alsophila pometaria fall cankerworm: a foliage pest of various fruit and shade trees.

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cankerworm British  

/ ˈkæŋkəˌwɜːm /

noun

1. the larva of either of two geometrid moths, Paleacrita vernata or Alsophila pometaria, which feed on and destroy fruit and shade trees in North America

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Etymology

Origin of cankerworm

First recorded in 1520–30; canker + worm

Example Sentences

Cankerworm caterpillars of the hackberry leafroller moth have infested North Texas, including the Dallas-Fort Worth area, after recent rains provided conditions amenable to their life cycle.

From Washington Times • Oct. 8, 2022

Cankerworm, a worm which is very destructive to trees and plants.

From A Treatise on Domestic Economy For the Use of Young Ladies at Home and at School by Beecher, Catharine Esther

The Cankerworm Fowls in the orchard do good by capturing the larvæ before they can burrow, while hogs will destroy the fallen fruit before the larvæ can escape.

From Agriculture for Beginners Revised Edition by Burkett, Charles William

And according to Columella, the Horehound is a serviceable remedy against the Cankerworm in trees: Profuit et plantis latices infundere amaros marrubii.

From Herbal Simples Approved for Modern Uses of Cure by Fernie, William Thomas