hornworm
noun
horn·worm
| \ ˈhȯrn-ˌwərm
\
\
Definition of hornworm
: a hawk moth caterpillar having a hornlike tail process — compare tomato hornworm
Examples of hornworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The hornworm is a voracious eater of plants — mainly tomatoes and peppers. — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "What was this caterpillar up to in a Pleasant Hill garden bed?," 15 July 2019 Some people argue that the caterpillars should be left to do their thing because the reward is seeing the moth, but gardeners often don’t see it that way and go out on hornworm hunts. — Joan Morris, The Mercury News, "What was this caterpillar up to in a Pleasant Hill garden bed?," 15 July 2019 The hickory horned devil, spiny oak worm, and hornworms all have spiky looking horns that can be scary to see, but are not venomous. — Jefferson County Cooperative Extension, AL.com, "Stinging caterpillars (Garden Talk)," 22 Aug. 2017 KENNETH SETZER Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden They’re known to resist cracking from intense rains, but problems come from tomato hornworms that devoured my plant mercilessly. — Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Yes, you can have a summer vegetable garden in Miami (but maybe not the plants you expect)," 24 May 2017 Basil naturally repels mosquitoes, aphids, flies, mites and tomato-eating hornworms. — Debbie Arrington, sacbee.com, "Still time to plant tomatoes, basil," 2 June 2017 KENNETH SETZER Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden They’re known to resist cracking from intense rains, but problems come from tomato hornworms that devoured my plant mercilessly. — Kenneth Setzer, miamiherald, "Yes, you can have a summer vegetable garden in Miami (but maybe not the plants you expect)," 24 May 2017These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hornworm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more