cankerworm

[ kang-ker-wurm ]
/ ˈkæŋ kərˌwɜrm /

noun

the striped, green caterpillar of any of several geometrid moths: a foliage pest of various fruit and shade trees, as Paleacrita vernata (spring cankerworm) and Alsophila pometaria (fall cankerworm).

Origin of cankerworm

First recorded in 1520–30; canker + worm

Words nearby cankerworm

canker, canker sore, cankered, cankerous, cankerroot, cankerworm, cankle, canlit, canna, cannabin, cannabinoid

Example sentences from the Web for cankerworm

British Dictionary definitions for cankerworm

cankerworm
/ (ˈkæŋkəˌwɜːm) /

noun

the larva of either of two geometrid moths, Paleacrita vernata or Alsophila pometaria, which feed on and destroy fruit and shade trees in North America