definitions

corn earworm

noun

the larva of a cosmopolitan noctuid moth, Heliothis zea, that is highly destructive to crops, especially corn, cotton, and tomato.

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Nearby words

corn color, corn crake, corn dodger, corn dog, corn dolly, corn earworm, corn exchange, corn factor, corn flour, corn gluten, corn grits

Origin of corn earworm

An Americanism dating back to 1795–1805
Also called earworm, bollworm, cotton bollworm, tomato fruitworm.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for corn earworm

corn earworm

noun

US the larva of the noctuid moth Heliothis armigera, which feeds on maize and many other crop plantsSee also bollworm
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