silkworm
noun
silk·worm
| \ ˈsilk-ˌwərm
\
\
Definition of silkworm
: 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
Examples of silkworm in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Researchers have previously transplanted silk-making DNA from spiders into bacteria, silkworms, plants and even goats in an effort to mass-produce the substance. — Prachi Patel, Scientific American, "Creating Synthetic Silk from Microbes," 1 Dec. 2018 The chains look metallic but are made of polyurethane colophony (rosin) and iron powder, and the threads are silk — spun by silkworms that the artist guided to do his bidding. — Scarlet Cheng, Los Angeles Times, "At LACMA, Chinese artworks zero in on a single material. Think ash. Or human hair," 12 Aug. 2019 Lazarus befriends Mary as the curious, fearless girl is out exploring the property and tending to some pet silkworms. — John Defore, The Hollywood Reporter, "‘8’: Film Review | Fantasia 2019," 23 July 2019 Suddenly people wanted vegetarian and organic options and had questions about the sourcing of the silkworm larvae. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Column: I’ll never be a regular at Koreatown’s OB Bear, but I’m glad to be a guest," 1 Apr. 2019 The exception to this was the silkworms, which Yoon used in brownies that had a very distinctive taste—the rich earthiness of the insect mixed with the chocolate. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Ars eats more bugs, finds a few we like," 30 Sep. 2018 At the turn of the 17th century, the land on which Buckingham Palace now sits was a mulberry garden, planted to feed silkworms. — Noor Brara, Vogue, "Inside Buckingham Palace’s Resplendent, Never-Before Seen Rooms," 4 Oct. 2018 The raw ingredients Yoon worked with included grasshoppers, crickets, meal worms, and silkworm pupae. — John Timmer, Ars Technica, "Ars eats more bugs, finds a few we like," 30 Sep. 2018 Then, the scientists genetically engineered silkworms by inserting this protein, called mKate 2, into their DNA. — Angela Chen, The Verge, "How scientists are engineering silk to save our bodies," 4 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'silkworm.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for silkworm
silkworm
noun
English Language Learners Definition of silkworm
: a caterpillar that produces silk which is used to make thread or cloth
See the full definition for silkworm in the English Language Learners Dictionary
silkworm
noun
silk·worm
| \ ˈsilk-ˌwərm
\
\
Kids Definition of silkworm
: a yellowish caterpillar that is the larva of an Asian moth (
silk moth or silkworm moth
), is raised in captivity on mulberry leaves, and produces a strong silk that is the silk most used for thread or cloth