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.

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Origin of silkworm

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

Words nearby silkworm

silken, silkie, silko, silkscreen, silkweed, silkworm, silkworm moth, silky, silky anteater, silky cornel, silky flycatcher
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Example sentences from the Web for silkworm

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