woodworm

American  

[wood-wurm] / ˈwʊdˌwɜrm /

noun

1. a worm or larva that breeds in or bores into wood.

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woodworm British  

/ ˈwʊdˌwɜːm /

noun

1. any of various insect larvae that bore into wooden furniture, beams, etc, esp the larvae of the furniture beetle, Anobium punctatum, and the deathwatch beetle

2. the condition caused in wood by any of these larvae

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Etymology

Origin of woodworm

First recorded in 1530–40; wood ¹ + worm

Example Sentences

"I've got woodworm... I've got damp and mould all over my windows, I've got one window that doesn't open, I've got two windows that are cracked."

From BBC • Jul. 28, 2023

Similarly, some items in his collection became contaminated with mildew, woodworm or worse — asbestos, mercury and radioactivity.

From New York Times • Feb. 7, 2023

It's actually just a stick from the orchard, and sadly this year it seems to have a bit of woodworm.

From BBC • Jul. 13, 2013

You can almost smell the bohemians' garrett, though almost is quite enough given that it would be a heady melange of woodsmoke, woodworm, stale wine and old socks.

From The Guardian • Dec. 18, 2012

Presumably he is a woodworm, not an earthworm, and Locke’s furniture was crawling with them.

From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton