noun
silkworm
SILK-wurm/ˈsɪlkwɜːrm/
A moth larva that spins a cocoon used to produce silk.
The silkworm rests on a mulberry leaf beside a single silk cocoon.
Etymology
The name joins silk with worm, which once covered a wider range of crawling creatures. Here it names the moth larva that produces silk for its cocoon.
In context
The first one is the silkworm. These are the larval stage of the silkmoth, which produce... yeah, you guessed it, silk.
More examples
- These silkworms feed on fresh mulberry leaves.
- Farmers raise silkworms and collect their cocoons to produce silk.
- A silkworm eventually changes into a moth.
Forms
silkworm · silkworms
Similar words
- caterpillar
- A broader term for the larva of any butterfly or moth.