Adjacent Words

Silkworm definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SILK'WORM, n. The worm which produces silk, of the genus Phalaena. Silk-worms are said to have been first introduced into the Roman empire from China, in the reign of Justinian.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: the commercially bred hairless white caterpillar of the domestic silkworm moth which spins a cocoon that can be processed to yield silk fiber; the principal source of commercial silk
2: larva of a saturniid moth; spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon [syn: silkworm, giant silkworm, wild wilkworm]

Merriam Webster's

noun Date: before 12th century a moth whose larva spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon; especially an Asian moth (Bombyx mori of the family Bombycidae) whose rough wrinkled hairless caterpillar produces the silk of commerce

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. the caterpillar of the moth Bombyx mori, which spins its cocoon of silk.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Silkworm Silk"worm`, n. [AS. seolcwyrm.] (Zo["o]l.) The larva of any one of numerous species of bombycid moths, which spins a large amount of strong silk in constructing its cocoon before changing to a pupa. Note: The common species (Bombyx mori) feeds on the leaves of the white mulberry tree. It is native of China, but has long been introduced into other countries of Asia and Europe, and is reared on a large scale. In America it is reared only to small extent. The Ailanthus silkworm (Philosamia cynthia) is a much larger species, of considerable importance, which has been introduced into Europe and America from China. The most useful American species is the Polyphemus. See Polyphemus. Pernyi silkworm, the larva of the Pernyi moth. See Pernyi moth. Silkworm gut, a substance prepared from the contents of the silk glands of silkworms and used in making lines for angling. See Gut. Silkworm rot, a disease of silkworms; muscardine.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(silkworms) A silkworm is the young form of a Chinese moth and it produces silk. N-COUNT