silkworm

[ silk-wurm ]

/ ˈsɪlkˌwɜrm /

noun

the larva of the Chinese silkworm moth, Bombyx mori, which spins a cocoon of commercially valuable silk.

the larva of any of several moths of the family Saturniidae, which spins a silken cocoon.

Nearby words

silken, silkie, silko, silkscreen, silkweed, silkworm, silkworm moth, silky, silky anteater, silky cornel, silky flycatcher

Origin of silkworm

before 1000; Middle English sylkewyrme, Old English seolcwyrm. See silk, worm

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for silkworm

In The Silkworm, Rowling deploys this knack with an almost perfect touch.
Speed Read: J.K. Rowling Pens Another Winner With ‘The Silkworm’|Malcolm Jones|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Silkworm brings back Cormoran Strike (yes, Potterish names still abound).
Speed Read: J.K. Rowling Pens Another Winner With ‘The Silkworm’|Malcolm Jones|June 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The first arrival of the silkworm in Europe was in the sixth century, 900 years later.
Needlework As Art|Marian Alford
The culture of the silkworm is extensive; there are textile and hardware manufactures.
The Nuttall Encyclopaedia|Edited by Rev. James Wood

A peculiar charm attends the labours of the silkworm; it ennobles everything which surrounds it.
The Insect|Jules Michelet
The culture of the silkworm is chiefly carried on in the south, and in Croatia-Slavonia.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 13, Slice 8|Various
The house stood in a grove of mulberries, for to his other pursuits Mr. Ko added that of silkworm raising.
The Red Miriok|Anna M. Barnes

British Dictionary definitions for silkworm

silkworm

/ (ˈsɪlkˌwɜːm) /

noun

the larva of the Chinese moth Bombyx mori, that feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree: widely cultivated as a source of silk

any of various similar or related larvae

silkworm moth the moth of any of these larvae

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

Word Origin and History for silkworm

silkworm

Old English seolcwyrm; see silk + worm (n.).