rootworm

American  

[root-wurm, root-] / ˈrutˌwɜrm, ˈrʊt- /

noun

1. the larva of any of several insects, as the cucumber beetle, that feeds on the roots of plants.

2. any of several nematodes, especially of the genus Heterodera, that puncture and feed in the roots of plants.

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Etymology

Origin of rootworm

First recorded in 1795–1805; root ¹ + worm

Example Sentences

CO2 may play an important role in attracting the rootworm, “but roots are emitting a lot of different compounds,” Eilers says.

From Scientific American • Sep. 30, 2021

The corn rootworm, the Colorado potato beetle and soybean aphids all thrive best on the crops that give them their names.

From Washington Post • Mar. 2, 2016

For a decade they have been combating the rootworm by planting so-called BT crops, which are genetically engineered to produce a toxin that kills the insects when they eat the crop.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2014

When the rootworm ingests the corn, the double-stranded RNA enters its cells.

From New York Times • Jan. 28, 2014

A single visit from a representative of the Department of Agriculture showed him the cause of the trouble, the corn rootworm, and how it could be eradicated by a simple rotation of crops.

From Community Civics and Rural Life by Dunn, Arthur William