silkworm
Americannoun
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the larva of the Chinese silkworm moth, Bombyx mori, which spins a cocoon of commercially valuable silk.
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the larva of any of several moths of the family Saturniidae, which spins a silken cocoon.
noun
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the larva of the Chinese moth Bombyx mori, that feeds on the leaves of the mulberry tree: widely cultivated as a source of silk
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any of various similar or related larvae
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the moth of any of these larvae
Etymology
Origin of silkworm
before 1000; Middle English sylkewyrme, Old English seolcwyrm. See silk, worm
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The foods are extreme and run the gamut, from silkworm pupa to a whole goat head.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
From producing silkworm eggs to supplying larvae and rearing cocoons, Asho Farms has integrated the latest technology.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
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 ● May 24, 2024
In light of this, the team engineered a hemostatic agent featuring an inner layer with mussel adhesion proteins for wound adhesion and an outer protective layer entirely composed of silkworm silk proteins.
From Science Daily ● Feb. 23, 2024
Even some insects have been domesticated, notably Eurasia’s honeybee and China’s silkworm moth, kept for honey and silk, respectively.
From "Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies" by Jared M. Diamond
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
