silkworm

American  

[silk-wurm] / ˈsɪlkˌwɜrm /

noun

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

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

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silkworm British  

/ ˈsɪlkˌwɜːm /

noun

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

2. any of various similar or related larvae

3. the moth of any of these larvae

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Etymology

Origin of silkworm

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

Example Sentences

In Japan grasshoppers, silkworms, and wasps were traditionally eaten in land-locked areas where meat and fish were scarce.

From BBC

Legend says the island used to be famous for sericulture and farmers would keep cats because they would chase away rats, protecting the silkworm cocoons from the rodents.

From Seattle Times

Addressing this issue, recent research has been published by researchers focusing on a hemostatic agent derived from mussels and silkworm cocoons.

From Science Daily

The other, Siena McKim of the University of California, Santa Barbara, discovered that at least one amphipod species produces this fiber with some of the same genes as silkworms.

From Science Magazine

Last week in Matter, researchers reported inserting DNA coding for spider fibers in the silkworms.

From Science Magazine