wireworm

American  

[wahyuhr-wurm] / ˈwaɪərˌwɜrm /

noun

1. any of the slender, hard-bodied larvae of click beetles, many of which live underground and feed on the roots of plants.

2. any of various small myriapods.

3. stomach worm.

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wireworm British  

/ ˈwaɪəˌwɜːm /

noun

1. the wormlike larva of various elaterid beetles, which feeds on the roots of many crop plants and is a serious agricultural pest

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Etymology

Origin of wireworm

First recorded in 1780–90; wire + worm

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wireworm

Allotment holders throughout the country hope the order will be read out to any wireworm or potato-moth that attempts to land at our ports.

From Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 152, May 23, 1917 by Various

If this is impossible, see that the compost is sweet, friable, and, above all, free from that terrible scourge of Carnations, the wireworm.

From The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots 16th Edition by Sutton and Sons

In garden cultivation it is most useful for wireworm, used at the rate of 1 ounce to every 4 sq. yds.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various

The insects in the larval or wireworm stage attack the roots of plants, eating them away below the ground.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 8, Slice 10 "Echinoderma" to "Edward" by Various

Small Potatoes, roughly hollowed out, or pieces of Carrot, may be used as traps for wireworm and other vermin.

From The Culture of Vegetables and Flowers From Seeds and Roots 16th Edition by Sutton and Sons

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