budworm

noun

bud·​worm ˈbəd-ˌwərm How to pronounce budworm (audio)
: a moth larva that feeds on the buds of plants compare spruce budworm, tobacco budworm

Examples of budworm in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The last large outbreak of budworm occurred in 2015 and left 118,000 acres of pines defoliated. Detroit Free Press, 16 July 2023 The budworm's population naturally booms and busts somewhere in the state about every 12 years, said Eric Otto, forest health specialist for the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR). Greg Stanley, Star Tribune, 14 Dec. 2020 Aerial surveys showed more than 200,000 trees were killed by the budworm in 2018 and 2019. Greg Stanley, Star Tribune, 14 Dec. 2020 The problem in asking me is that there are all manner of reasons why a spruce tree would have needles turn brown, from sawflies and budworms to fungi, viruses, mites and bad weather. Jeff Lowenfels, Alaska Dispatch News, 22 Sep. 2017 This article on Petunias from Colorado State gives information on petunias and their pests, including the Tobacco (geranium) budworm. Kym Pokorny, OregonLive.com, 12 July 2017

Word History

First Known Use

1849, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of budworm was in 1849

Dictionary Entries Near budworm

Cite this Entry

“Budworm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/budworm. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.

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